Walk a Mile.

      Alrighty so this post might not seem to missionary related, but I promise I have a way that it ties in. It's not so much something that necessarily will help you get ready for a mission, but I think that it's an important principle to remember while on your mission. And actually to remember and apply into your every day life. 
      I'm sure you've all heard the saying walk a mile in their shoes. This is supposed to help you remember that you don't know what is happening in another person's life. You don't know why they do the things they do and you don't know what's happened to them. There may be times when there is a person in your life and you just don't understand them. But don't judge too quickly. You have no idea what's happening in their head. You don't know what's happening to them at home. And chances are you will never know. This is when you need to love them and forgive them for the things they do. Chances are things are not going so great for them.
     I've found that it is often the people who seem the strongest that are hurting inside. These people just find a way to deal with it and block it out. I know that sometimes I don't understand why other people cry, why don't they hide it like I do? It's not that hard. Right? The truth is I'm not them. I don't know what's happening to them and maybe they've finally had enough and are slowly breaking down. It's also true that not everyone is as strong as you. People are built with different stuff. I don't know what makes me the way I am and if I don't know that about myself there is no way I'm going to know that about another person.
     There are going to be people on our missions who hurt and disappoint us. They are going to make promises and schedule appointments that they don't keep. And before we get mad we need to realize we don't know what made them act that way. It might seem like they are just flaky or don't care and sometimes that might be in the case, but I really think that there is more going on. We aren't ever going to know what that is. If they're as good as I am at hiding things no one will ever know. We need to accept them, love them anyway and simply let them know that we're here if they need it. You might not ever find out what's haunting them, but there is always a chance that they will break one day and when they do they'll remember you. Be worth remembering. 
   We are the Lord's tools on Earth. He uses us to find those who are in need. He uses us to make others feel loved and to answer their prayers. Be listening and ready to act on that spiritual guidance when the Holy Ghost calls on you. You never know what kind of a difference you can make. Sometimes He is the only one who knows what's going on and we must trust in Him for it to be sorted out.