Today after church I saw an old friend from the ward that I hadn't seen in a while. She commented, "Wow! You look amazing! I never bounced back like that after having a baby." I politely smiled and thought to myself, "I dont bounce back. This has taken months of working out hard every day and watching what I'm eating, and I STILL have a ways to go."
It got me thinking about how we often look at other people and think how easy they have it in life, but we also fail to see all the "behind-the-scenes" effort they're putting into it. In relation to the gospel, sometimes we look at someone and think, "Man! Her testimony is so strong!" or "Wow! She has it so easy" or "Her lessons are always so incredible, she's a natural teacher."
How did her testimony get so strong? She's obviously worked on it. She's cultivated and nourished it. She's fed herself spiritually daily and practiced faith.
Does she really have it so easy? Or has she experienced trials and heartache that have helped her be happy and grateful in life? She's likely more patient and empathetic because of her hardships.
Is she really a natural teacher? Or has she spent hours and hours reading, studying, pondering, and praying on how to share the message with her class?
Before we jump to conclusions about how easy some people have it, let's take a step back and:
1. Be happy for her.
2. Dont compare your weaknesses to her strengths.
3. Be grateful God has placed a person like that in your life. You're likely to learn a lot from her.
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