Patience is a Virtue

Why is the virtue of patience such a challenge for most of us? There is certainly an endless bounty of opportunities for us to practice patience in this life. Why is it important to God for us to learn patience?

In a world of fast food, fast cars, immediate answers to any question (Google), and having every problem solved in 30-60 minutes courtesy of the entertainment media, we have become overly accustomed to the instant answer, and in many respects even feel like we deserve to receive immediacy – or are somehow entitled to it.

Aren’t most things of value created or attained through patience? It’s true: “We won’t find the fine china in the bargain basement.” Success and honor and accomplishment come from tenacity and hard work and endurance; all of which only come through the miracle of patience.

Interestingly, Lucifer’s plan required no patience – everyone just shows up and Shazam!... we’re all winners. Nobody needed to learn anything; we wouldn’t finish mortality as any better people than when started it.

So, why does God expect us to learn patience? One answer: Charity is patient. We learn to love better when we’re patient with each other, even when we’re patient with strangers, when we’re patient with ourselves, and importantly – patient with Heavenly Father.

Patience is a ‘core virtue’ – meaning that so many other attributes of being Christ-like are rooted in patience: forgiveness, tolerance, compassion, faith, discipline, chastity, perseverance, frugalness, moderation, industry, and the list goes on.

Zion people are a patient people, and our sincerest desire should be to become more like Zion. As we are more consistent in our patience, it will be reciprocated. Patience is contagious, if we’ll give it a chance.

It is a blessing in others’ lives when we’re patient with them. If we want to really bless our children, bless our spouse, bless our neighbors – be patient.

Don’t we all have an incessant desire for the Lord to exercise an unrelenting amount of patience for us? Absolutely we do – it’s our only hope!

Even though we’re not perfectly patient, yearning to have more patience with our families and each other will go a long way in helping us become more like the Master of patience, our Savior.

Please watch this excellent video on patience – it’s less than three minutes and very well done!

Life Is Supposed To Be Hard!

LIFE IS SUPPOSED TO BE HARD!

Life is supposed to be hard!

A baby crawls and falls hundreds times,

As he tries to stand and take

His first step.

A hundred, maybe thousand falls

In the process of learning to walk!

And then on to the next hurdles –

Attempting to run and hop, skip and jump!

Oh, then the tricycle, then the bicycle;

The skateboard… and a thousand more falls!

Yes, it’s supposed to be hard!

Life is supposed to be hard!

Going to a strange place,

Surrounded by total strangers!

Being told what to do,

Where to sit, how to talk, how to act.

Every day actually given problems to solve.

More stress, more pressure, and more problems –

Even assigned problems to take home and work on.

13 years of increasingly difficult problems in school!

Yes, it’s supposed to be hard!

Life is supposed to be hard!

Finding a job that will pay what I’m worth.

Competing with the other five hundred

That want this job and are better qualified.

Employed, but overworked and underpaid.

Unappreciated, and continuously bossed around.

Arriving early, working through lunch, staying late.

Wondering if I’m part of the next layoff.

Why won’t they give me a raise?

Can’t they see the value I add?

Yes, it’s supposed to be hard!

Life is supposed to be hard!

Finding someone that I love and

Want to spend the rest of my life with.

Finding someone that loves me and

Wants to spend the rest of their life with me.

Do we want to have children, and

All of the challenges and trials they bring.

Can we afford a car, a house, a family?

A thirty-year loan? Is that even possible?

How will we ever make it?

Yes, it’s supposed to be hard!

Life is supposed to be hard!

Praying endlessly but not getting

My prayers past the ceiling,

Trying to make sense

Of accidents, of sickness, of debt,

Of relationships in turmoil.

Of depression and sorted bad news,

Of a lost job, of an early death.

Why me? Why doesn’t God just fix it?

Yes, it’s supposed to be hard!

I see now why life is supposed to be hard!

And I’m profoundly amazed at the purposes!

A multitude of lessons have been learned –

Fortitude, endurance and faith,

Patience and more patience,

Of never giving up, never quitting!

Of testing the limits, and reaching for the stars,

Of discovering an infinite number of possibilities -

That otherwise would never have been known.

And of finding and knowing and appreciating God!

I’m so glad that life is supposed to be hard!

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For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 

neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so are my ways higher than your ways, 

and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

~ Isaiah 55:8-9 ~

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Dedicated to my friend Steve Anderton whom I love. He has taught me some significant and vital life lessons. He has showed me by powerful example that no matter how bad things may get, there’s always someone else that’s got it worse. He has also taught me that at life’s darkest moments it’s never too late to give the Lord another chance to perform a miracle. Thank you my friend!

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Wm. Calvin Hughes 

February 24, 2014 

Lake Elsinore, California 

The Power of Words

I am creative by nature. I love woodworking - building furniture like double and even triple bunk beds as well as smaller projects, like my famous tape dispenser (holds six different kinds of tape as well as a bottle of Elmer's glue. 

​

I also have a soft spot in my heart for mechanics - tinkering on the cars. I change my own oil, change the rotors and brakes, rebuilt some carburetors, repair flat tires an have even attempted a couple of engine overhauls. Even attempted some pin-stripping, some auto body work and some painting.

Having said all that, probably my most favorite creative work has to do with words and creative writing and turning it into art. Usually it has something to do with family or something spiritual. I love words! To articulate my love of words, I write articles, poems and attempts at profound quotes. Words have power! In my mind, I fully subscribe to the philosophy that, "The pen (written word) is mightier than the sword!" (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1839).

Here is something I wrote in April 2011, trying to capture my feelings about and titled: 

The Power of Words

Words can create peace, or war. 

Words can inspire love, or hate. 

Words can be the difference between building, or destroying. 

Words can heal, or wound. 

Words can cause life, or death. 

Words can define friendship, or enmity. 

Words can promote growth, or depression. 

Words can lift the soul up, or push it down. 

Words can signify our strengths, or our weaknesses. 

Words can be tools of godliness, or tools of all that's not. 

Words can affect unity, or division. 

Words can expressly motivate, or deridingly discourage. 

Words can generate ecstatic joy, or miserable fear. 

Choosing the right words, at the right time, for the right reasons, 

is part of our inherent agency and a responsibility that all bear. 

Using the right words can make all the difference, 

and change the world into a significantly better place to live. 

If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, 

and able also to bridle the whole body ~ James 3:2

I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue:

I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me ~ Psalms 39:1

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles ~ Proverbs 21:23

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, 

and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.  

All things were made by him; and without him was not 

any thing made that was made ~ John 1:1-3

Wm. Calvin Hughes 

Lake Elsinore, CA - April 20, 2011
(Revised February 22, 2014 - Happy Birthday Sadie Jane!)

How Good is the Good News?

By Wallace Goddard      Friday, January 31 2014

One of the most extended interchanges in the Gospels is between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4). Jesus was resting from His journey when the woman came to the well to draw water. He asked if she would get him a drink of water. She could not respond to the request because of the shock of it. Here was a Jewish rabbi who engaged a Samaritan woman in conversation. She knew that the Jews detested the Samaritans and wanted nothing to do with them.

Maybe there is a parallel between the Samaritan woman and us. We fallen humans have every reason to expect censure from Jesus; after all, He cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance and, I for one, am quite brimming with sin. Oh, sure. I’m polite and properly dressed at church. But I judge people harshly (though I don’t let it show). I get impatient (read: angry). I want the world to meet my needs at all costs (Yep. Selfishness!). I could go on in the tired litany; suffice it to say that I have plenty of reason to dread an encounter with Him.

Yet He calls me. In my case, He has not asked for a drink of water, but He has called upon me to enter into a relationship with Him. He wants me to open up my soul to Him—to unburden my thoughts and concerns, to listen to His counsel, to lean upon Him, to allow Him to renew my downtrodden soul. He calls on me often.

Like the woman at the well, I’m puzzled. Why would You associate with me? He surprises me (like He surprised her) with His answer. “Wally, I want to open your eyes. I want you to see that I have water that will slake that unrelenting thirst in your soul. I want to fill you with an amazing message—to give you fantastic news, beyond-your-wildest-dreams news, that will spring into an enduring relationship with the One who can offer you peace, hope, purpose and joy.”

Why me? Certainly there are others more worthy of your company? The woman at the well must have wondered why He would associate with her.

Then He asked the woman at the well to do something she was incapable of doing. He asked her to go get her husband. She answered: “I have no husband.” Jesus already knew that: “For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband” (John 4:18).

He also asks each of us to go get the thing we cannot bring—our perfect purity, our unfailing patience, our energetic temple attendance, our flourishing charity. But like the woman at the well, we cry out, “I cannot. I don’t have it!”

And this is the turning point in our relationship with Jesus. We are tempted to believe that He made the request to highlight our failings, to chide us for our flaws. We’re wrong. He asked us to bring what we cannot bring to underscore our desperate need for Him. He does not want to pain us with our inadequacy but invite us with His adequacy. We are weak but He is able. We are thirsty and He is the water. We are hungry and He is the bread. We are lonely and He is the comfort. We are broken and He is the Physician. He draws our attention to our lack so that He might fill it.

In the Lectures on Faith we are taught a surprising truth. We sin continually. That is part of our fallenness. The problem comes if we don’t know that God is “long suffering, and full of compassion, gracious and merciful and of a forgiving disposition.” If we won’t know in our bones that we can trust Him with our fragmented lives, we will not go to Him to be saved (See Lecture 3:20). It is absolutely necessary for us to know that “God is merciful, and gracious, long suffering and full of goodness,” otherwise we will never drink of the water of life.

That is the vital lesson that the woman at the well learned. Though she was a sinner repugnant to any ordinary Jew, she was cherished by the Messiah. Jesus did not instruct her to slink back to town and fast in sack cloth and ashes until the time she was worthy to approach Him. No. He invited her to return to the city and gather up all the sinners she could find and return to the well where they would all receive the most refreshing water they would ever drink.

Jesus said to them as He says to us: “Come boldly unto the throne of grace, that [you] may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

What a transaction! We provide the need and He provides the grace! We bring our failed resolves and multitude of failings and He provides the grace that we desperately yearn for. We make ourselves humble and He makes us clean.

But this will only happen if we know that “God is merciful, and gracious, long suffering and full of goodness.” If we have been tricked into believing that God is a grudging and irritated father, we will not come to Him and we will not drink of that precious water.

His Multitude of Invitations

We often talk about the gospel being the good news. But do we really believe it? Jesus interrupted His announced journey to Galilee with a two-day stop in Samaria because the people were willing to drink the water He offered. In like manner, He gladly pauses from any heavenly demands to spend time with you and me when we go to Him without reservation. He repeatedly invites us to come to Him.

He invites us to meet Him at church so we can rejoice in hymns of praise, renew our covenants, hear the testimonies of fellow saints, and ponder more on His amazing plan. Do we cherish that weekly opportunity to meet with Him in worship?

He invites us to study the scriptures because He wants to reveal more of His mind and heart to us. Do we relish that offering? Do we dive in excitedly to see what God will teach us in each fresh encounter?                               

                                   

He invites us to chat with Him in conversation. Unfortunately we often experience prayer as a tired and unrewarding, rote obligation. He wants us to meet Him for heavenly encouragement and a divine embrace. Do we look forward to prayer as a time of conversation and renewal?

He invites us in the midst of challenges, painful or ordinary, to lean on Him for counsel and support. When we are feeling lost and weak do we pause and turn to Him for direction and strength?

He asks us to invite others to the well where they, too, can discover the living water of the gospel.  Do we welcome and create opportunities to learn about the spiritual needs of others and then joyfully share our discovery of the good news with them?  

Most telling of all, when He invites us to come into His presence, do our hearts rejoice at the prospect even if our knees shake just a little? Do we run to Him throwing ourselves gladly on His merits, mercy, and grace?

The Great Lie

Satan was a liar from the beginning (D&C 93:25); he wants us to believe that the gospel is all drudgery and suffering. He may not be able to convince us by direct assault, so he uses indirect methods. He causes us to see the gospel’s demands as intrusions on our busy lives. He hints that the scriptures are tedious and irrelevant. He gets us to chafe about some imperfect soul at church. He whispers that Jesus is an impossible taskmaster. He lulls us into simply going through the motions of church membership without any joy of relationship with Jesus. Or Satan gets us distracted with 1001 worries and concerns thereby crowding out Jesus as our central focus.

Many, maybe most, of us feel spiritually inadequate. “Obviously I’m a spiritual flop. I am either not doing the right things or I’m not doing them in the right spirit.” This may be a little like saying that I failed at the buffet. “I didn’t eat nearly as much as Brother Oistad. I probably consumed less than 3500 calories. I only ate three desserts. I’m a failure.”

A sumptuous buffet is not a perfect metaphor for our spiritual lives; but it’s not a bad one. Every day God lays out an amazing spread. We can dive into the scriptures anywhere and find sustenance. We are offered a direct line of communication with the One who best knows how to feed our starving souls. We will face unnumbered ways to serve in any given day—and be renewed by that service. Each of us can share our delight in God’s meal with fellow diners. We can go to the buffet line picking a little here and complaining a lot there or we can stand in awe of the offerings, choosing that which will strengthen and build us. We can remain hungry or we can be sumptuously filled.

Time and again He invites us to come to Him: “I stand at the door and knock.” “Ask and ye shall receive.” “My hand is stretched out still.” He seems to be saying: I have prepared a feast for you. But you must set aside other business and come and rejoice with me. We’re tempted to delay: “Well, let me take care of other pressing tasks first.” “I have meetings today.” “I’m just so tired.” “I’d rather relax in front of the TV or computer.”

Still He waits for us at the buffet. I would like to expand on a statement made by Timothy L. Hall. “The gospel is not just good news but knock-your-socks-off, couldn’t-have-dreamed-it-up-in-a-thousand-years,” blow-your-mind good news. God’s plan is the ultimate fairy tale—come true!

Preparing For the Feast

I’m trying to respond more faithfully to His invitations. In particular, I’m trying to be prepared for that sacred fifteen minutes when we meet our Redeemer for the sacred meal we call the sacrament. On Saturday evening I outline my dilemma and need in my journal: Thou art holy. I am fallen. Have mercy. Grant according to my desires (See Ether 3). I ponder my requests—my spiritual priorities. They tend to focus less on blessings of convenience than on cravings for sanctification and renewal.

Sunday morning before going to church, I review my prayer. I head to sacrament meeting knowing that that He waits for us there. I enjoy gathering with fellow saints of the ward family. We sing hymns of praise and I ponder the words—there is always some phrase of praise that lifts my heart. During the sacrament I imagine a personal encounter with Him. I hear Him knock at the door of my life. I welcome Him in and fall to my knees. I beg Him to patch my soul and ordain me to do His bidding. He comforts me and points me to appointed duties.

Wow! Joy—that elusive taste of heaven—is so life changing! Even little moments of joy patch up great gaping holes in my body and soul. He sends me into the week armed with joy.

I am so grateful that He would attend to our messy journeys so patiently, so redemptively, so lovingly. All discomfort is forgotten when we glimpse His perfect purposes.

The gospel is breathtakingly good news. He is waiting for us at Jacob’s well where He offers the greatest feast ever set before hungry humans. He invites us to come join Him. He gladly gives us all the joy we are willing to receive.

_______________________________________

Wallace Goddard

http://www.ldsmag.com/article/1/13879

What Will You Find?

This poem "What Will You Find?" (below) I wrote seven and a half years ago. It has helped me look at the world and my personal trials and challenges with a much better and more positive perspective. There are three things, tools really, that I hold dearly, that relate to having a good perspective on life. Hope you like the poem and find these tools helpful as well.

TOOL #1 – I've found that Gandhi's wise words hold precious and significant truth regarding my outlook on life and my view of the world. I have even them permanently affixed to my bathroom mirror so I can see them and be reminded of them every day. He said, “Be the change you want to see in the world."

So, to me that means that I have the ultimate responsibility for how I want the world to be. There’s no one to blame for anything I don't like but myself and my perspective on the matter. Sometimes I have to look very, very hard to find the silver lining, the benevolent purpose, and the good part. But I would say that for the majority of the time, there's some good to be found every time, in every situation. It takes hard work and perseverance and some time to find it, and some persistent digging to eventually uncover it, however, the payoff is well worth every effort! Amazingly, it makes life much less stressful, much more peaceful, and even brings greater measures of happiness and joy! 

TOOL #2 – Another favorite quote of mine plays into this idea of maintaining a positive outlook on life. Anne Frank said, "Isn't it wonderful that no one need wait a single moment to make the world a better place to live." Now, my responsibilities for my own attitudes and perspectives are enlarged from just me to include those around me. Family and friends, neighbors and clients and even brief acquaintances are a natural extension of my desire to have more happiness and peace in my own life.

News Flash! I can have a positive and meaningful influence on others' lives! Even if it’s just a momentary, one-time encounter. I might even have the opportunity to inspire someone, or (think about this) even alter a friend’s eternal destiny for the good! In fact, I feel a genuine responsibility, a stewardship if you will, to help others experience increased happiness – to find some of that silver lining, some of the benevolent purpose, and a bigger slice of the good life – yes, to see the world as a better place to live! I am so grateful that the Lord’s Spirit can be intimately involved in guiding me with inspiration for conversations through my writings, my words and my thoughts. I find it comforting to realize that this commitment to be a source of positive influence with those around me has made the effort easier and more natural over the years. 

TOOL #3 – The third thing has been alluded to in the first two tools. It has infinitely impacted my life. In every frustrating or challenging situation, before jumping to conclusions, it directs me to take a step back and ask myself in all soberness this question: "What is the benevolent purpose?" I have found that almost without exception, anything my wife says or does has a loving and benevolent purpose! She's always looking out for the betterment of everyone else. Never a selfish motive or glint of malevolent intention in her purpose. It’s an amazing example of how I want to become.

I believe that most people are generally good and I try to give others the benefit of the doubt in every situation. Usually there is a benevolent purpose. I’ve found that’s the case more often than not.

Here’s an example to drive home the point. It’s the Bible account of Noah. The whole of the human population was destroyed, almost. The only human survivors were the passengers on the ark! The population of the world changed in the span of a few days from millions to eight! These eight were Noah and his wife, their three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their three wives. Everyone knows the rest of the story, it’s an unprecedented event in world history. It seems like a very brutal and cruel thing that God did. Like on a whim, He wiped out the entire human race because He was angry at mankind’s sinful behavior! But, have you ever asked yourself the question, “What was God’s benevolent purpose?” How could what God did be loving or benevolent? Well, we know that God is Love! And that the greatest gift is Charity and that if we don’t have it, we’re nothing! So, what gives?

The world was heading in the wrong direction. In fact, it was getting worse with no hope for a turn-around anytime soon. Prophets were not just ignored, they were stoned to death. The future prospects for the children of God were dismal – no chance for lives of righteousness or the accompanying blessings. Because of their wickedness, God couldn’t bless His children! Starting over allowed God’s children to have a chance at righteousness. and experience free agency, and again be in a position to receive His blessings. Benevolent purpose! I’ll say! And for those that drowned, their shortened lives prevented them from heaping more sin upon their souls. Benevolent purpose! Yes Sir! They would be given a chance to repent and hear and accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Spirit World (1 Pet. 3:19-20, 4:6). Benevolent purpose! No Doubt! I love this tool! It has blessed my life in more ways than I could measure.

This I know: “being the change you want to see in the world,” and making sure that you use your influence with those around you to not “wait a single moment to make the world a better place to live,” and asking yourself when concerned about others’ motives “what is their benevolent purpose?” are important tools for a successful and content and productive life. Using these tools will help others in miraculous and wonderful ways! And sweet and tender mercies will come to us – there will be greater portions of increased peace in our families; we will experience a greater abundance of lasting happiness; and the heavens will endow us with majestic and genuine joy! God will shower us with His most favored blessings. This I know.

I’d be happy to hear your thoughts.

Wm. Calvin Hughes

February 1, 2014

Lake Elsinore California

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WHAT WILL YOU FIND? 

There was a man, new to town, 

Saw buildings run down, everywhere rubbish.

He found folks unfriendly and selfish, unwilling to help, 

Everyone was unkind and intolerant and clannish.

Wherever he looked, wherever he went,

His access denied, he was rejected,  

Opportunity just wouldn't knock,

In fact, at most every door he felt disconnected. 

He gave it a chance, gave it his best, 

And decided to move on to greener pasture;

He was sure that it doesn’t matter what you want – 

And that you never find what you’re looking for.

Another day, another man, also new to town,

Saw structures of historical value, a place of potential. 

He found warm-hearted friends, generous, willing to help,

Everyone kind, open-minded and non-preferential. 

Wherever he looked, wherever he went, 

Access was granted, he saw charity extended,

He found opportunity knocking, 

In fact, at most every door he felt splendid.

He gave it a chance, gave it his best,

And decided wherever he was, green was the pasture; 

He was sure you get what you want –

And usually, you find what you’re looking for.  

Some people from the town observed these two, 

And were curious about the contradiction –

Same town, same buildings, same people. 

Why such a difference in their reaction?

A wise man, a forefather there, offered the answer:

“It isn't the town, buildings or people, be sure –

It’s just that sometimes you get what you want, 

And you find exactly what you’re looking for.”

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Wm. Calvin Hughes

Lake Elsinore, California 

July 23, 2006