Are you holding back?

This is my niece, Natalie. She is serving her mission in the Philippines right now. Her family lives in our home stake and she had her farewell the same day we did. It has been fun for us to share our missions together and it seems like the Philippines and Peru have a lot of similarities.  Natalie wrote her testimony about what she is learning in a letter, and I want to share it with you.

 “There are so many miracles we saw this week and one thing that has really made the difference for me was that I worked hard on being accountable to the Lord.  Each day, before we went out to work, I took a moment to pray to God and I promised Him that I would do everything I could for Him that day. I also asked Him for His guidance and help and then asked him to open my heart and mind to what He would have me do.  And even though things were still hard, and I continued to be stressed and tired because I often don’t know what I’m doing, I felt God’s divine assistance and love.  I felt Him working through me and He blessed me with His assurance that His grace can fill and heal everything which is broken.”

Her words got me thinking about my commitment to God.  I’ll have to admit that sometimes I draw a line in the sand and say to myself, “ This is as far as I'm willing to go for God, the rest is just too much.” Do you draw a line like I do sometimes? Do you hold back from God? Is it getting in the way of your development or your relationship with the Savior like it does for me?  Is it keeping you from having some great experiences?  As you look at your line, think about how you can cross it. In my personal experience as a mission leader, I have encountered many of these lines. However,  each time I choose to cross it, I am always greatly rewarded.  It is never easy or comfortable at first, but it is worth it. I promise that it will be the same for you!