I deserve nothing

July 27, 2015

Hey there!

Wow, this week has been crazy. I have learned a lot, and am full of gratitude.

To start off, you all know I am pretty bummed that I won’t be here for the temple dedication, but I just heard that the Mexico city temple is getting rededicated in September and is being broadcasted though all Mexico!

This week I have had a lot of spiritual moments. My favorite was during the district meeting. I talked about accountability, which is just an amazing topic to begin with, but we analyzed Mateo 25:14-30. As we analyzed it, one of the Elders raised his hand and commented that with the servant who had 10, and the servant who had 4, the answer was the same. How cool is that! It really doesn't matter the quantity of our results, but the quality of our work! I LOVE that insight!

Wednesday I started to get a really bad headache, I couldn't stand it anymore, so I called the mission, and they told me to take migraine pills. Well that night I couldn’t sleep at all. Just 8 hours of complete restlessness. It was horrible. Then the same thing happened the next night and the next night. I obviously stopped taking the pills but I just couldn’t sleep. Well turns out that the pills had caffeine in them, which makes a lot of sense why my body freaked out. Well it has been so hard this week to just keep going on because I have been sooooo tired, and in a lot of pain, but it has been a good lesson about perseverancia!

Yesterday in priesthood we talked about President Uchtdorf’s talk on grace. I just love it! I learned that I need to get rid of the mentality that I work to EARN blessings. That is just ridiculous. I deserve nothing. We need to work out of love for our Heavenly Father. I have seen so many miracles, but it has not been anything I've done, or earned, it has been Heavenly Father preparing these people! I don’t know how we as human beings can find ways to be prideful but we really do. Okay, I’ll just speak for myself... haha

LOVE YOU SO MUCH,

ELDER SMALLEY!!!