Afraid of the Dark

For the longest time, for years, I have felt something in my heart but never quite known how to explain it to others in a way that they would understand.  I would try, but it just didn't come out right and then they would believe what I said which didn't really communicate what I really felt.  It has caused me a bit of frustration and also caused me to pull back from some people that now believed me to be indifferent, aloof, and avoidant. 

Until yesterday, when I a read a simple sentence here that summed all these years and thoughts and emotions up.  At the core of it all it's this simple:

I am not afraid of the darK

It’s not that “I don’t care” like I may have said a few times.  I do care, but I’m not afraid, I’m not worried about it.  I don’t need to wallow in it or mass email it out to everyone in my contact list. 

I know that I am a daughter of God, I know that Jesus Christ will come again.  I know this world is going to continue to get more and more evil and scary, but that’s just it, it’s supposed to.  That’s what prophets forever have been prophesying about.  So I’ve never understood why people go into shock and loose their footing when they see the world worsening. 
It’s true, when you hear my words it almost does sound like I don’t care or I’ve removed myself from the situation so that I don’t have to deal with it.  But believe me, I am in the situation, I experience it and I feel it.  But I’m not afraid of it.  I don’t let it stop me.  I don’t let it change my focus.  Everyone is quite aware of the evils and bad things that happen in the world, so why do they need one more person repeating it to them and spreading the echo of the evil. I won’t. Why should I when I can do good. I’m not a global organizer, but I can still change the world if I help, one person at a time.  I live in a diverse city.  There are many people of other cultures and faiths and I love getting to know them.  I love finding the good in them and the principles of truth that guide their lives, which strengths me. 
The website I was reading that sparked this post for me said:   

"Last October President Russell M Nelson quoted Boyd K. Packer as saying this: “We need women who are organized and women who can organize. We need women with executive ability who can plan and direct and administer; women who can teach, women who can speak out.”

In the original address President Nelson then added, 

“Today, let me add that we need women who know how to make important things happen by their faith and who are courageous defenders of morality and families in a sin-sick world.”

The website continued: "As our friend Fiona Givens recently told us, “We need women who are not afraid of the dark.”"

It’s not enough anymore to ignore the dark spaces, the problems, the wounded on the side of the road. We can’t pretend they’re not there. Nor can we be afraid. In order to fight the dark we have to face it. We have to organize, direct, teach, speak out, and lead. We have to be willing to educate ourselves and others and use our faith to make important things happen.

We have to use our faith to make important things happen.  We need to trust the Lord enough to put some action behind the principles of the gospel we study. 

Ways to start:

·       If you have the opportunity to serve or to help someone—Do it! If it’s going to be inconvenient—Do it anyway! You’ll find that it always works out.

·       If you receive an email that spreads fear or evil—Decide to delete it and go do something kind for someone in your community.

·       If you see a posting that spreads prejudice or hate—Don’t get angry, if you do, you have just given Satan more points in the battle. Instead, look around you in your community and befriend someone that is different from you.  Look for the good guiding principles in their life and focus on the good that you can learn from them.  You will feel enriched.

If you look for the evil, you will find it.  If you look for the good, you will find it.  I choose to look for the good.  And it’s a beautiful world.