strangely dim

{my system's been down all day today! how about we blog from
the phone, yes?}

I like to read a variety of blogs. I enjoy getting a glimpse of people who live lives different to me. One segment that is Huge on blogging is Mormans and there are a few Morman blogs that I regularly read.

There's one in particular that I gave me the urge to write a bit. We have some similarities like age and college major {and college struggles - i.e. Statistics!} but our lives are very different.

She was a very strong Morman. She opened her blog up for questions and discussions to make The Church of Latter Day Saints not seem so weird to us on the outside. Well now, she's apparently 'backsliding'. She's grown weary of many of the issues in the church and wishes for change instead of the same old traditional ideology. She recants her previous judgmental attitude toward different groups of people. Instead, she feels the need to be free instead of bound by the church.

Now this is one of those posts where people will read into things without truly seeing where I'm going. Don't be that person!

I get it. I can understand why she would feel that way.

FIRSTLY, because of the church that she is a part of. The LDS has their share of many issues and inconsistencies {not to mention, false doctrine :) }.

But secondly, the problem is when there is tooo much Humanity and not enough Deity being emphasized.

I am in The Church. I see many things. I see those who are on fire for God, aspiring to do great things and are crazy in love with Jesus. I see others who are tired. Those who feel like them being in the Church is a battle of its own. Some want to leave the church while some know they are hellbound if they walk out. So they stay and suffer in their hurts and pain and confusion.

What's the common denominator? To me, it's Focus.

When our complete focus is on God, much of what is all around us will be blurred. Why are new converts so "annoyingly" (to those that have lost their focus!) happy? Because they've just discovered the amazing treasure of serving God. They're head over heels in love with this Truth and they can't grasp why there are some in the church that find it hard to smile and have true joy in living for God.

There are things that happen in the church that aren't right. There are standards and rules that cause some to scratch their heads. There are and will be all of those things till Jesus comes back. I know, I know, I know.

But hey, ya know what? We're human. Humans all trying to find our way in living for God.... from the well-known, well-traveled prominent conference preacher to the woman living twenty minutes down the road  who got baptized last week.

It's easy to get caught up in the human stuff. Believe me, I know, ok?
But I've found that life is a lot less stressful when the focus is moved from the human stuff onto God and His greatness and unfathomable mercies.

And now for the hymn that echoes in my mind occasionally:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

And Francesca's updated take on the hymn (and my current theme song):

But when I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade
And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face
And don't look around
Any place I'm in
Grows strangely dim