Standing in line at a grocery story, beep, beep, beep. Hand her some cash and again beep, beep, beep. I have two transactions. It's 9:30 pm. I turn to the lady behind me and apologize for my double taking of time. She shrugs her shoulders and says, "I'm in no hurry. I'll just be heading back to cleaning and doing laundry."
I hurried out to my car and thought as I rode home about what that women had said. I wasn't going home to clean (although I am sure I had plenty of cleaning to be done) but I had just come from putting two munchkins to sleep and needed to grab a few items and hurry home to get ready for the upcoming day, a Sunday. And then a thought came to me, "we are all in this together". We all have our to do lists, we all have our stressors, most of us have similar goals. We are not in this alone. We are all busy. We all get overwhelmed. We all have various roles and obligations but we are truly all in this life together.
Then a night or two later I read from Matthew 14 and 15 and had a great moment of being taught:
Christs' good friend John the Baptist was beheaded and when he heard of it He went to be alone. A mulitude followed him and even in his time of need he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Then that very evening that multitude needed to eat and so He fed the 5,000 men and also many women and children. Straightway he sent his disciples to get in the ship and He went to pray. Meanwhile a storm came between 3 and 6 in the morning and Jesus walked on the water with Peter and calmed the storm. When they got off the ship in the land of Gennesaret the people recognized him and brought those who were diseased and He healed them. Then came the scribes and the Pharisees to question him and contend against him. Then he calls the multitude around him to teach them. He goes on to heal a girl and feed 4,000 more.
I could just keep going and going. I don't think I had ever realized the time frame of these events. In such a short time He lost a dear friend, He healed many in the multitude, He fed 5,000, He walked on the water and calmed the storm, He healed the diseased, He stood firm against the Pharisees, He taught the multitude, healed a girl, and fed 4,000 more.
He truly understands. Not only did He experience everything through the Atonement but He also experienced the stresses and demands of life to the fullest.
I know often we feel like our own lists could keep going and going. In such a short time, we can get our kids off to school, change 10 diapers, make lunch, run to the store, send a note to a dear friend, plan a lesson, calm tears, make dinner for a neighbor, take kids to soccer practice, read scriptures, plant a garden, and pray for and have heartache over our families. And the list could go on.
But we have the Savior and we have one another.
President Monson's words fit so perfectly here, "Life is perfect for none of us. Rather than being judgmental and critical of each other, may we have the pure love of Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life. May we recognize that each one is doing her best to deal with the challenges which come her way, and may we strive to do
our best to help out."
I hope that we can all look at the world in this way. That we can see that our "fellow travelers" are trying their best and let them lean on us when they need to and that we may find that we have those that we can lean on in our times of need. I also hope that we will recognize that we all need to take a step back and have a moment to ourselves. Even the Savior sought moments to be alone and to speak with His Father. Sometimes those moments may be interuppted by something more important but we all need those moments to draw us nearer to the Lord and to bring peace nearer to our hearts.
Never forget that you are not alone.
