The Key to Happiness

To say this year has been a struggle for me would be a huge understatement. My depression really hit hard in January, and just as I was starting to put my feet back under myself, we learned my husband's job was being eliminated. Thankfully, I have been doing better since he was able to find a new job and spring started to show up.

Through all of this, I have been teaching Relief Society. I am blessed to teach the fourth Sunday, with the topics from General Conference. I absolutely love to teach, but as much as I love it, I have not yet found a lesson that was easy to teach. I taught a lesson based on "Come What May and Love It" and "Finding Joy in the Journey" the month after he lost his job. The lesson on the Priesthood was challenging because the talk was directed at the men, and I was teaching sisters.

This last Sunday, the lesson presented new challenges. I was teaching from "Pray Always" by Elder Bednar. However, my prayers have been less than meaningful for a while. It was a good motivation to rededicate myself to this principle; however, I felt almost hypocritical teaching it. Two days later, I went visiting teaching and found myself teaching about scripture study, which also has been a weak point in my life lately.

I took the hint and am working on both these things. I am amazed at how much better my life is when I take time for these simple things. Yesterday, I was blessed with opportunities for service, I found myself more friendly and kind to those around me (except the person I was behind who would stop for odd reasons and just sit there in the Fred Meyer parking lot). I saw the windows of heaven opening and blessings just pouring down on me as I ran errands. It was like Heavenly Father was saying, "See, your life will be so much better if you remember me in prayer and scripture study."

I am so blessed to have a loving Heavenly Father. He is just waiting to pour blessings down, but he can't unless I am prepared to receive them. And all that takes is a few minutes each day for prayer and scripture study. And I am the one who is blessed. It's just like King Benjamin says,

"And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.

And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?"

I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father.