Many paths have opened...

Sometimes little gems come out of the woodwork. The more you live the more you learn and you see what you were so blind to in the beginning. Those comments you made judging the thing that you now care for stab you and you see how you must repent right away. No one wants to hear how the thing they love is flawed. Only you can learn that for yourself. You see how people change and now one day you are in love with your best friend. Not saying that this is relevant to me today, but think about it. Has that ever happened to you?

I think of many instances where a person does not impress me. But months down the road they have changed, or maybe I have changed, or a combination of the two, and you see potential. You see hope. You have faith once again. And you apply forgiveness. I think it's an interesting thing to use forgiveness in that sense. A person makes a mistake. You part ways. And then you are back together having forgiven the mistake they had made in the past because they are different. And that's how the Atonement can change us. Second, and third, and fourth, and infinite chances as long as they exhibit godly sorrow.

I want someone who inspires me to be better. I want someone that will choose Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ above all else. I want someone who is genuine and has a good heart. I want someone deeper than what the world is offering us. And how will I find him? I will be the best version of myself that I can be.

Forgiveness and understanding are essential to being our best selves because, well, when I get hurt I don't really want anything to do with the person who hurt me. What I have learned is my agency is more powerful than those emotions. As I think about it, I can choose to be happy for the boy that chose another girl. Perhaps they fulfill needs of each other where I could not. I am not unworthy, I just am not the puzzle piece that fits there. Or perhaps I have found someone that expresses feelings for me but I cannot return them, I can be sensitive to such things and encourage them to be their best. Regardless of what life throws at us, our agency is more powerful than anything else. Perhaps that is why Satan is so key on destroying it?

Gems come out of the woodwork the more we live and choose and act. I'm starting to see things unravel and opportunities are arising. For all my blessings I am grateful to my Savior, Jesus Christ, and my Heavenly Father, who have done all of this in order to bring me home refined and true. Next time you are hurt, think about the bigger picture. There's always a better way.