#LightTheWorld Day Five - Jesus Healed the Sick and So Can You

A quick word of warning.... this post is long and is deep.  Not like existential, hard to understand deep, but personal and full of information that has made great impacts on my life.  It is not meant to be a quick read, but if you do read, I hope you will be edified.  Otherwise, recognize this post as more for me than anyone, so don't feel compelled.  This is not so much about how I #LightTheWorld for others, but how I #LightTheWorld for myself so that I may live to fight and serve another day.

Nearly all who have heard of Jesus Christ know that he performed many miracles.  Today's focus is on healing the sick.  Christ's example in this is something that I have a hard time comprehending. In my life, I have been the beneficiary of many Priesthood blessings that brought peace and restored me to health.  But more than that, I want to talk today about the ways that we can help heal the sick.  In Matthew 25:34-40 we read:

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

True disciples of Jesus Christ are seeking opportunities to bless the lives of others.  They care for others more than they do themselves and conduct themselves in a manner that represents this.  We follow Christ when we help others and when we help others, we help ourselves.

When I began to think about ways that I can heal the sick.... I thought about all of the ways I have been "healed" over the years.  Sickness and afflictions manifest themselves in our lives in different ways.  Something that is a struggle for me, may not be a struggle for you.  We are unique.... which requires that as followers of Christ we look for unique solutions to problems.

One of the things that I have been afflicted with in this life is anxiety and depression.  It is not as severe as some, but it is definitely a real struggle at times.  When I am at my sickest, I have a tendency to withdraw and retreat into my thoughts, which is not always the best thing to do.  Over the years, there have been special people in my life who have noticed me and have inquired after my health; people who have seen something wrong and have taken it upon themselves to try and improve my situation.  Most times it has not been big things that are done or offered in my behalf.... they are often small things that make a big difference.

One of the first times that I really struggled with depression was shortly after Matt and I married.  We were both college students, both working full-time and life was in flux.  This is not abnormal for this stage in life, but as those closest to me know, I don't do well with flux.  I remember one night, for some reason, we went to dinner with some of my extended family and we ended up at Chuck-a-Rama.... which is like an all you can eat buffet of mediocre comfort food.  It's cool, I like it well enough.  My kids love it because they can take as much of what they want as they can eat and because it is a buffet, they have complete control over the contents of their plate.  Anyway, Chuck-a-Rama.  As we were waiting  to be seated, my Aunt Suzy came over to me, asked how I was doing and gave me a hug and a little gift.  The poem she gave me is one that I had heard before, but it never loses its wisdom.

This poem, presented in a small frame, still sits on my desk.  It serves as a reminder that I can do hard things, that I have survived hard things and that I have people in my life who love me.

So now knowing and understanding that I have the ability to help not only others, but to help myself, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about some of the ways I have learned to "heal my sick."

A few thoughts from my experiences.

There are four fronts that I want to address when I talk about mental illness: spiritual, physical, mental and behavioral.

Spiritual:

In the Sermon on the Mount, the very first words that the Savior speaks are "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."   One of the most important things for me is to recognize and allow the power of the Atonement to work in my life.  Christ suffered ALL things for us and we need to be mindful of that sacrifice.  If nothing else, it is always helpful to know that someone else has been where I am.

As I have studied for myself over the years, I have found great solace in these talks given by Jeffrey R. Holland: Broken Things to Mend and Like A Broken Vessel I highly recommend reading these, whether you share my struggle or my faith.  Here are a few things that I love that he mentions.

• Christ invites us to come unto him, to follow him.  “If you will follow me, I will lead you out of darkness, I will give you answers to your prayers.  I will give you rest to your souls.” 
• We have to have faith, even just a “particle of faith” that is enough to start.  When we set aside a place for Christ, we have taken the first step out of despair.  We need our faith to be greater than our fear. President Thomas S. Monson has said, “There will be times when you will walk a path strewn with thorns and marked by struggle.  There may be times when you feel detached – even isolated – from the Giver of every good gift.  You worry that you walk alone. Fear replaces faith.” One of my very favorite scriptures is found in 2 Timothy 1:7 

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; 

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

So....

• We need to do all we can to change the problem.  Repentance, removing ourselves from situations where we are not able to feel the Spirit.  We are responsible to exercise this new faith.
• We take upon His name.  We act as a disciple of Christ.  We follow Him; we do what He would do. 
• We need to pray.  The Apostle Paul says “Let your requests be made known unto God.” We were not placed on this earth to walk alone.  He who sees the larger picture and who knows the end from the beginning, has assured us that He will be there for us to provide help if we but ask.  We are promised “pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good.”
• We need to read our scriptures. President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “May the Lord bless each of us to feast upon his holy words and to draw from them that strength, that peace and that knowledge ‘which passeth all understanding.’” In the scriptures we read accounts of those who struggled.  In fact, in the very first story that we read in the scriptures, the story of Adam and Eve, we are made aware of struggle and pain and sadness. Elder Richard G. Scott relates: "Through Adam and Eve’s partaking of the forbidden fruit, knowledge of good and evil was introduced into the world. Their choice made it possible for each of us to come to this earth to be tried and tested.We are blessed with agency, which is our ability to make decisions and to become accountable for those decisions. The Fall made possible in our lives feelings of both happiness and sadness. We are able to understand peace because we feel turmoil.”  The Lord most often communicates back to us through His written word.  This is how He answers our prayers.  According to Elder Scott, we should “know what the voice of the Divine sounds and feels like, read His words, study the scriptures and them.”  
• For me, ultimately, if I am to be successful, my approach also includes several of the "Mormon" things.
• FHE – precious time to strengthen family bonds, develop traditions, to talk to each other and to have a “marvelous time together.”  These are your people; your tribe!  You need to spend time with them.
• Temple attendance – listen to the words of the ordinances, ponder them, pray about them and seek to understand their meaning.  The temple is the place where the wind (of life) is rebuked. In Mark 4:39:

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

• Priesthood blessings – Father’s blessings, Bishop’s blessing and Patriarchal blessing. These can provide guidance and comfort and reassurance that you’re on the right path.
• Church attendance and partaking of the sacrament.  Taking the opportunity to renew our covenants each week should give us a renewed sense of hope

Physical:

What do I mean by this? Diet and exercise mostly; words I truly hate, but unfortunately make a big difference.  I’m not going to say a whole lot about this other than to say:

o   When you eat crap, you feel like crap!  This is a lesson that I keep having to learn over and over again.  I testify that the Word of Wisdom is given as a revelation meant to bless our lives.

o  Elder Holland counsels us:

“In preventing illness whenever possible, watch for the stress indicators in yourself..... As with your automobile, be alert to rising temperatures, excessive speed, or a tank low on fuel. When you face “depletion depression,” make the requisite adjustments. Fatigue is the common enemy of us all—so slow down, rest up, replenish, and refill. Physicians promise us that if we do not take time to be well, we most assuredly will take time later on to be ill.”

Elder Holland continues:

If things continue to be debilitating, seek the advice of reputable people with certified training, professional skills, and good values. Be honest with them about your history and your struggles. Prayerfully and responsibly consider the counsel they give and the solutions they prescribe. If you had appendicitis, God would expect you to seek a priesthood blessing and get the best medical care available. So too with emotional disorders. Our Father in Heaven expects us to use all of the marvelous gifts He has provided in this glorious dispensation.

Now, something that I really, really want to talk about: medication.

I really want to emphasize the point that Elder Holland makes that our Father in Heaven wants us to get the best medical care available.  For me, in times past, and now, that means medication.  Some times I can manage my difficulties on my own, gritting my teeth and getting through it, and some times that is just not possible.  In talking about depression and other mental illnesses, Elder Holland is clear that “there should be no more shame in acknowledging them than in acknowledging a battle with high blood pressure or the sudden appearance of a malignant tumor.”  These are medical conditions that we treat in a variety of ways; medication being one of these.  Personally, right now, my body just works better with it.  This is something that I know, that I am constantly reevaluating and that I hope at one point to be able to change.  But, that day is not today, and I’m okay with that.  This is only a part of my “multi-faceted” approach to dealing with challenges and problems.

On to the next thing.  Once we are secure in our spiritual practices, and we can be assured that we are doing are what we need to to meet our physical needs, we need to work on the mental aspect.  This is the part that calls for a lot of self-reflection, evaluation and possibly a shift in our thinking.

Mental: 

We can learn about our challenges and that is mostly through therapy. Therapy is an avenue that we should be willing to explore.  This therapy can take several forms; it can be formal or informal.  A medical professional, a Priesthood leader or a good, trusted friend.  Through consideration and thought we become familiar with the intimate details of our situation and we become more able to objectively look at our problems.  Many times it is this reflection that allows us to become secure enough to improve our situation going forward.  Sometimes I have a hard time remembering this, but it certainly puts things in perspective....  

We were taught in the premortal world that our purpose in 

coming here is to be tested, tried and stretched.

Once again, the wisdom of Elder Holland; he reminds us that "In striving for some peace and understanding in these difficult matters, it is crucial to remember that we are living—and chose to live—in a fallen world where for divine purposes our pursuit of godliness will be tested and tried again and again.  Try not to be overwhelmed with the size of your task. Don’t assume you can fix everything, but fix what you can. If those are only small victories, be grateful for them and be patient. Dozens of times in the scriptures, the Lord commands someone to “stand still” or “be still”—and wait. ⁶ 

Patiently enduring some things is part of our mortal education.  Many times, these realizations that come to us are able to help us shift our perspective.  Reflection and meditation make it possible for me to upgrade my attitude and to remind myself that life is good, life is beautiful and definitely worth living.

Let me tell you a story.....

Story of the Broken Pot

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on an end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the masters house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his masters house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your masters house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts." the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the masters house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the Pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pots side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my masters table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table. In Gods great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don't be afraid of your flaws.

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, 

that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

-2 Corinthians 12:9 

We need change our focus and show gratitude for our challenges.  We need to remember that the Lord knows our challenges and he has committed to working with us to help us magnify our strengths and improve our weaknesses.

I need to remember that the Lord is as dedicated (or more so) than I am about self-improvement.  Remembering this has kept me from giving up on more than one occasion.

The final factor to discuss as it pertains to my illness is:

Behavioral:

I have had to learn about my triggers, change reactions, change my circumstances, look outside of myself and improve and foster associations with others; I need to set limits and I need to serve others.   A few examples from my life; lessons learned and applied.

o   Learn your triggers; this is honestly why I don’t go to PTA meetings anymore.  It is way too hard for me to say no... especially when its something that I know I can physically do.  I can’t always trust myself to say no, so I try not to put myself in situations where I have to.

o   Change your reaction.  Think about your past, about your history and if you’ve responded negatively in the past, try to figure out how to improve your behavior.  I had to learn to say no; or just to not say anything at all.  Like I said earlier, I like to be the girl with all the answers so I have to repeat to myself that I don’t have to fix or do everything.

o   Change your circumstances.  If you find yourself in situations that are not beneficial to you and your progression, change your circumstances.  So.... I don’t work anymore because crying in your boss’s office is overrated.  Seriously... look for ways to change your circumstances and get to work.

o    If you have a friend (or family member) who makes you feel bad, put some distance in that relationship.  Don’t be mean, don’t burn any bridges, but take responsibility for your happiness.

o   If you ARE that friend; that person that makes others feel bad about themselves? Stop being that person; change your circumstances.  Do the things you need to do in your life to be better.  Maya Angelou is quoted as saying, “Do the best you can until you know better.  Then when you know better, do better.”

One of the best ways for us to “know better” is service.  This is the ultimate behavior modification.  It is really easy to look at our problems and get caught up in ourselves, but we should follow the Saviors example and serve each other; even if it is only a kind word.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the things we say and do can help those around us.  Sometimes all it takes is a few words to keep us or others in the fight.  An example from my life in the "mom trenches...."  This occasion wasn't recent, but it is one that reoccurs more often than I'd like.

"On Friday, I was headed toward the finish line of a very long week; literally limping to the finish line.  Then I got on FB and saw this post from my typically non-sentimental husband.

...I sat on 13 airplanes and spent 15 nights in hotels. Meanwhile, Rebekah Homer Pierce has done heroic work holding our lives together with four kids in four schools, homework, swim meets, choir concerts, music lessons, service, church commitments, tumbling, tai kwon do, and hitting the gym. (Isn't she Awesome!) I'm glad we're on this ride together, and I don't want it to end, but I wouldn't mind if it slowed down a bit. See you soon.

Somehow, I had the fortitude to get through the next 4 hours and until Matt was finally home!

One final thought from Elder Holland: 

"Let us remember that through any illness or difficult challenge, there is still much in life to be hopeful about and grateful for. We are infinitely more than our limitations or our afflictions!

Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee. Though we may feel we are “like a broken vessel,” as the Psalmist says, ¹⁰  we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind."

Be kind.  Be supportive of each other. Start small. Don’t be afraid.  In D&C 64:33 we read: “Wherefore, be not weary in well doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.  And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”

I will do my part to #LightTheWorld by taking care of myself.  I will attempt to keep myself mentally and spiritually well so that I can let my light shine.  I will try my hardest to lend a listening ear and offer an understanding heart.  I will bear others burdens.