Sunday thoughts

(photo taken in American Fork Canyon from the road)

I love my calling. I teach Relief Society once a month. I love the Gospel Principles manual we use to teach from. I'm learning so much as I prepare and study the material. This week's lesson was on The Creation. Who isn't fascinated (if not moved) by God's creations? I'm sure each of us has quietly observed a starry sky on a warm summer night and wondered about the grandeur of it all.

But what does the Creation have to do with me on a personal level? Aside from the knowledge we have that the Lord created a beautiful earth because we, his children needed a place to dwell, there are some other things to consider.

I am trying to divide light from darkness every day in my life. It's not easy sometimes. Like God, I am trying to create beautiful places in my home and in my life; sometimes out of chaos or unorganized matter. Each of us is seeking to bring forth order and beauty in our relationships and in our lives, in hopes that we, like God, can claim our creations "good." Sometimes to create something beautiful, we have to descend trustingly into the darkness before we can create necessary light, just as God did in the first creative period. Maybe we are struggling in a difficult marriage or with addiction; or maybe we are simply trying to create a beautiful space in our home. Whatever the case may be, we can learn to be a creator of good things, unorganized things or chaotic matter in our lives.

And so I pose (what I consider to be) a few poignant questions:

1) How can we show gratitude for the gift of the Creation?
2)Which of God's creations are especially beautiful to you?
3)What are you busy creating these days? Are you actively engaged in the creative process and in learning how to be a creator like our Heavenly Father?
4)How can we, as women of God, better "fill the measure of our creation?" I heard it put this way ~ "Filling the measure of our creation is learning to behave how the Creator intended (it) to behave."

I have lots of these thoughts swirling around in my head. I'm so thankful for the sisters in our class today who shared their insights. It gave me so much to think about it. I feel a good Family Home Evening coming on...