Static stretching
is used to stretch muscles while the body is at rest. It is composed of various techniques that gradually lengthen a muscle to an elongated position (to the point of
discomfort) and hold that position. During this holding period or directly afterwards, participants may feel a
mild discomfort.
The demands you and I experience during life sometime feel like static stretching. Holding various positions, tasks, activities to the point of mild discomfort. I don't feel like its necessary to go into detail where you and I might feel stretched but suffice it to say that if we're anxiously engaged we are going to be stretched.
Something that has always resonated with me while studying the scriptures is the principle that the Lord wishes to grant unto us the righteous desires of our hearts. If you're as intrigued as I am from this topic please carefully study these two addresses from some of my favorite church leaders.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell "
According to the Desires of [Our] Hearts"
Elder Dallin H. Oaks "
Desire"
I often wonder "with all these desires which ones are of the most importance? How do I recognize if I'm making any progress towards these endeavors? Which ones should be of the highest priority?" Then after reading a particular paragraph from the devotional "
Always Remember Him", from Elder D. Todd Christofferson, I was prompted to try a new way to setting goals that isn't represented by the traditional to-do lists or bullet points.
Elder Christofferson taught that Jesus achieved perfect unity with the Father by submitting Himself, body, spirit and will to the follow because it was the Father’s will, Jesus submitted even to death, “the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father” (Mosiah 15:7). He then says, "In the same way, you and
I can put Christ at the center of our lives and become one with Him as He is one with the Father (see John 17:20‐23). We could begin by stripping everything out of our lives and then putting it back together in priority order with
the Savior at the center. We would first put in place the things that make it possible always to remember Him—frequent prayer, studying and pondering the scriptures, thoughtful study of apostolic teachings, weekly preparation to partake of the sacrament worthily, Sunday worship, recording and remembering what the Spirit and experience teach us about discipleship. There may be other things that will come to your mind particularly suited to you at this point in your life. Once adequate time and means for these matters, for
centering our lives in Christ, have been put in place, we can begin to add other responsibilities and things of value insofar as time and resources will permit, such as education and family responsibilities."
I was awestruck after reading this and decided to throw away my goals listed in that traditional manner. I drew a circle and put Christ at the center. Then I proceeded to put the things that draw me closer to Him. He is at the center of the diagram as He should be in our lives. He beckons us "to come unto Him", and I saw that the honest and righteous desires were close to him because they caused me to "remember Him always". On the fringes were other responsibilities that are worthy insofar as time and resources permit.
As things in life change, I know that my diagram will adapt but always at the center will be Christ and the key principles that draw me to remembrance and unto Him. I am committed and under covenant to become His disciple. At the heart of becoming a disciple is feeling stretched, experiencing mild discomforts and going through the furnace of affliction
(see 1 Nephi 20) that refines and prepares us for the greatest of all gifts He has to offer us, life eternal
(see Doctrine & Covenants 14:7).
Robbie
Disclaimer: The majority of the thoughts that I attempt to articulate on this blog are not my own original ideas (not hard to believe). They come from things I have seen, read and heard that resonated with me in a unique manner.
