#12: Becoming

One of the greatest ways that Heavenly Father shows His love for His children, is he allows them to become something.  He gives them talents, opportunities, abilities, dreams, hopes, and desires.

I was 3 years old when I started playing violin.  Every day I was required to practice.  I didn't always enjoy it.  I knew I wanted to BE a violinist, but I didn't want to do the actual practicing part.  That was just boring! Practicing was a constant battle.  My mom would sit at the piano and help, but I just hated doing it.  One particular day, I put my violin down and refused to practice.  My mother asked me to pick up my violin and practice.  Again I refused. 

Kindly she walked over to my violin on the floor.  Placing it gently in it's case she said, "Well, if you don't want to practice, you don't get to play the violin." 

She took it away. 

She took my violin away from me! 

I thought, How could she do this to me?  She's ruining my life! She put my violin up high where I couldn't reach it.  I began to cry.  I begged and begged her to take it down. In soft tones she taught me the principle of becoming a violinist. Until I was ready to practice, I was not ready to be a violinist.

I agreed to practice.  I would do anything to play the violin!  So she took down my violin, and we resumed practice for the day.  Practicing was still not something I enjoyed, but I did it because I understood this principle.

It's the same with life.  In order to be something, we must learn the principle of becoming something.  We must be willing to put in the effort to practice, work, ask for help, and grow.  When we get frustrated, and feel we should have already accomplished so much, I picture our Heavenly Father teaching us the principle of becoming something. He does not expect me to be perfect.  But He does expect me to become perfect.

I know God loves me because He challenges me to become something great.  He requires me to work.  Though I do not always enjoy my experiences in this mortal life, I am loved because of the opportunity it has given me to be someone.