Serving our King...

Yesterday was a day FULL of emotion. Up and down and all around! Yesterday I completed, submitted and handed in my mission papers. I was excited, terrified, happy, sad, reverent, nervous, giddy....all at the same time! But over it all, I'm so much at peace. Signing that last paper made me realize and appreciate that I'm "signing over" my life to the Lord for an entire 18 months. For a whole year and a half I am His servant in bringing others to the Gospel.

I promised a blog about being a princess and also my mission. How's about I kill two birds with one stone here, eh?

I'm a princess. I'm not spoiled, I don't have the fanciest of things, I don't sit on a throne, I have a job, I work hard for all that I have in my life, things aren't presented to me on a silver platter; but I'm still a princess. There's nothing more humbling than truly discovering who you are. The understanding of where you're from, who you truly are, and where you're going is such a blessing to have in your life.

I used to be the princess who would wait. I would just WAIT for good things to happen to me. Metaphorically speaking, I'd sit up in my tower and just expect good things to come my way. But we can't always receive great things without working for it. I wasn't in my tower for too long before I came down, pushed up my sleeves and started to WORK.

Now, I'm not one to normally say what's on my mind, and I can be horribly shy in social situations. I haven't exactly liked that about myself, but I've come to accept it. Once you get to know me I can be just as loud and fun as ever, but from a first glance I'm just a quiet, soft-spoken girl. So working became a big part of my life to achieve great things. From music, performing, academics, social situations, being a good person, etc all came from working at it. But I soon realized that I was wrong...

As much as I worked on these things, they were blessings from my Heavenly Father. All my life I've known how much the Lord loves me. All I had to do was look around me and know that these were gifts.

But what about the bad? What about those situations that came knocking on my perfect little castle door? Moments that seemed to leave me in nothing but a tattered dress, tarnished crown, and shattered heart? How could my King let something like that happen to me? I was His daughter! It was unfair! I hadn't done anything wrong to deserve something like this!

We've all been there. We've all felt this way at one point in our life or another. And one such situation fairly recent in my life left me feeling just that.

It was at that moment that I knew I could do one of a few different things:
*I could sit in the rubble of my defeated castle and remember how beautiful my castle USED to be. But what good would that do me?

*Or, I could get up, and work on rebuilding myself every new day. If I looked only at what was right in front of me, I wouldn't be able to see past the burnt rubble to notice the beautiful things outside of where I stood. I could realize that I was surrounded by wonderful things, and enjoy them while I labored hard at fixing up my once beautiful castle.

I think we all know exaclty which one sounds better, but that doesn't mean it's EASY choosing it...
But I WORKED at it. I called on my Savior for guidance and divine help. I sought friends and family for comfort and support.

And it was moments like those that made me see how much a stronger princess I was becoming. Looking around me opened my eyes to what I needed to do next. How could I EVER repay my Savior for what he had done for me? One who suffered and died for me? One who paid the price of every sin, hurt, pain and sorrow I'd EVER felt, when all He asks in return is that we follow Him?

My heart ached in knowing how much I really had been given on a silver platter. How spoiled I really was...

So now that my castle and beautiful things are still being restored from a long and hard battle, I wanted so much to show my King how grateful I was. How grateful I AM. I want to venture out and sacfrifice my time and efforts in bringing others to this kind of knowledge!

Our world is suffering. It's sick and full of hurt. This gospel and Christ's Atonement make life so much easier! I rejoice in knowing this! I want EVERYONE to know how much the Lord has done for us! Heavenly Father sent His only begotten to die for us.. to save us.

...It's just exciting!

THIS is why I'm serving a mission. It has been so hard to prepare to leave my life behind; family, friends, a scholarship at school, time, opportunities to goof off and do whatever I want....

But when these 18 months are up I'll know that I did my best. I served my King. I labored hard in bringing my brothers and sisters in this world back to our Savior's presence. This princess just wants to pay back what she's been given. It's impossible, but at least I'm giving what I can :)

Now, all this being said, I know not everyone goes on a mission. Going on a mission isn't the only way we can show our Lord how grateful we are for everything he's done! By living our lives the best we can be, attending the temple, marrying in the temple and raising children in the gospel, studying the scriptures, fulfilling our callings, living a righteous life, acting on faith in everything we do....THESE are ways we can show our gratitude :) because really, that's all He asks of us.

It's so simple.
And I love it.