Forget Me Not ~ Dieter F. Uchtdorf

My aunt gave my sister, her sister, my mother, and I a copy of a message by Dieter F. Uchtdorf and a package of Forget Me Not Flowers a few weeks ago and I thought I'd share a few things from what I read.

"There is a German legend that just as God had finished naming all the plants, one was left unnamed. A tiny voice spoke out, 'Forget me not, O Lord!' And God replied that this would be its name.

Each of these little flowers had five petals and Uchtdorf shared "five things we would be wise never to forget."

1. Forget not to be patient with yourself.
• God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect.
• God is fully aware that the people you think are perfect, are not.
• Comparing ourselves to others, drives us to create expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet.
• Everyone has strengths and everyone has weaknesses.
• God wants to help us to eventually turn all of our weaknesses into strengths, but He knows it is a long-term goal.
• Be THANKFUL for all the SMALL successes, in your home, your family relationships, your education, your Church participation, and personal improvement.
• "Like the forget-me-nots, these successes may seem tiny to you and they may go unnoticed by others, but God notices them and they are not small to Him.
2. Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.
•  Every person and situation is different. A good sacrifice in one instance, migh be  afoolish sacrifice in another.
• Ask yourself: 'Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?'
• God is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater. Sometimes, that means nurturing small but beautiful forget-me-not flowers instead of a large garden of exotic blooms.
3. Forget not to be happy now.
•  Don't focus on the things that you feel 'holds the key to you happiness', by doing so you fail to notice all the blessings you have and that surround you.
• If you spend your days waiting for the fabulous roses, you could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around you.
• Do not abandon hope or temper your goals. Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all the righteous desires of yoru heart.
• The happiest people are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives.
4. Forget not the 'why' of the gospel.
• In the routine of our everyday lives, sometimes we unintentionally overlook a vital aspect of the gospel.
• We sometimes see the gospel as a long list of tasks that we must add to our already impossibly long to-do list, focusing on what the Lord wants us to do and how we might do it, but sometimes forget why.
• We need to "seek out the majesty, the beauty, and the exhilarating joy of the "why"; the "what' and the "how" of obedience mark the way and keep us on the right path, and the "why" of obedience sanctifies our actions.
5. Forget not that the Lord loves you.
• "God loves you because you are His child."
•  He knows, loves, and cherishes you.