January 4, 2017

My ribcage felt like it was in a vice grip today with muscle spasms.  I heated it and used my massager and finally felt brave enough to head out on a run at about two p.m.  I did it.  It never stopped hurting, but I did it.  I ran a big loop around the outside edges of the neighborhood.  It didn't feel great.  I sent a text message to Stalee when I was finished.  I told her it was a rough one.

I think we all sometimes wonder if our little efforts make any difference at all.

Consider a simple example from nature shared by Elder M. Russell Ballard.

It is estimated that to produce just one pound of honey, the average hive of 20,000 to 60,000 bees must collectively visit millions of flowers and travel the equivalent of two times around the world.  Over its short lifetime of just a few weeks to four months, a single honeybee’s contribution of honey to its hive is a mere 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.  What would be completely overwhelming for the bees to accomplish all at once, is accomplished one drop at a time.

I really learned this lesson in a big way while I was a student at BYU.  At the beginning of the first semester, I attended each of my new classes where the professor would hand out and go over all of the requirements for that class in that semester.  By the end of the first day, I was completely weighed down by all of the requirements.  I maybe had 5 huge research papers, 10 lab experiments, multiple group projects, a few class presentations, 20 tests, dozens of quizzes, hundreds of pages to read, and 6 HUGE final exams.  And that was just the FIRST semester!  I flopped down on my dorm room bed and said, “I cannot do this!”  I was completely overwhelmed while looking at the entire load all at once.  And it WAS a heavy load.  Then someone wise said to me, “Don’t think of it all at once, ask yourself, what do I have to do today?  Can I do that?”  And somehow step by step, day by day, I made it through that first semester.  And the next and the next.  One drop at a time!

That thought has helped me many times in my life when something seems hard to accomplish.

The true miracle of the honeybee is that by small and simple things, God can accomplish great things.  Set goals!  And take small steps towards your goals.  We don’t wake up one day being everything we've ever wanted to become, knowing everything we’e ever needed to know, and understanding everything there is to understand.  Drop by drop, step by step, we can grow closer to becoming what our Father in Heaven intended us to be.  We can rely on our Savior to help us.  

Stalee messaged me back.  She sent some encouraging words along with her love.  My goodness, I am so grateful for the amazing people in my life.  I am so blessed.

Tomorrow school starts up again.  I have loved this relaxing break with my family: sleeping in, pajamas all day, movies, good food, skiing, playing, just being together.  It's hard to see it end, but I'm so excited for all the possibilities of this beautiful new year.  Welcome, 2017!  You're gonna be a good one...one day at a time.