Out of the darkness.

I am the kind of person who tries to be positive. Of course I have times when I don't really feel positive and will complain about things or make negative comments when I should be less critical... but generally I try to look on the bright side, and when I feel the desire to criticise will think to myself. "I really don't have anything constructive to say about that, so I'm just not going to say anything."

I have sometimes heard people say things like, "yeah but there's so much [evil/bad/negative/injustice/unhappiness] in this world and there's no point ignoring it." That is one of the points that I really liked about President Uchtdorf's talk at our church's General Conference, entitled The Hope of God's Light: yes there is darkness in this world, but we don't have to dwell there; it doesn't have to be our focus. The light is just as real.

In his talk, President Uchtdorf talks about 'Jane' - a young woman who was subjected to constant abuse from the time she was three years old until she was 18 and moved far from her abuser. Of Jane, he said

"...the best path for healing was to understand and accept that darkness exists—but not to dwell there. For, as she now knew, light also exists—and that is where she chose to dwell.

Given her dark past, Jane could easily have become vindictive, venomous, or violent. But she didn’t. She resisted the temptation to spread the darkness, refusing to lash out in anger, hurt, or cynicism. Instead, she held fast to the hope that with God’s help she could be healed. She chose to radiate light and devote her life to helping others. This decision enabled her to leave the past behind and to step into a glorious, bright future."

There really is a lot of good in this world. I am paraphrasing here, but I like a quote I heard once saying that some people feel unsafe on the roads because they hear about the few number of crashes that take place... they fail to note the thousands of cars that pass safely to their destination unnoticed and without incident. I hope that we can live in a world that focuses more on the good that they see around them. That has to start with you and me.

So, here's me noticing some of the good things I see in this world:

• When Jonathan and I were preparing to get married and as we've raised our children, we have been blessed to know so many individuals who have helped us by giving us furniture, baby clothes, nappies, and who knows what else. There have also been people who've helped out by providing meals or doing housework- at the birth of our kids, when we've been moving or sick, or simply because they could.
• When my mother-in-law's cat required treatment that she couldn't afford, a kind veterinarian performed the operation free of charge. I can only imagine how much that meant to her.
• I recently heard about a man in Korea who created a baby-drop box - a life saving initiative for so many babies who would otherwise have died when their mother's could not keep or care for them.
• More people than society generally seems to expect will be courteous - holding a door for you or offering to carry something heavy to your car (of course it helps when you're pregnant and already have two kids with you ;) lol).
• There are of course many more examples, both close to home and also in places farther away.

I feel very blessed to know some wonderful people who, despite having experienced darkness in their lives, choose to live in the light and to radiate that light to those around them. Thank you for Inspiring me with your examples of positivity and the joy you always bring when you are around. Thank you for being brave and not allowing yourself to become the victim of your circumstances, but instead finding a way to bring the light that you lacked to others... and coming in to that light as you go.

There is much more to be said for living in the light... but for now: let's start noticing - and being - the light in the world around us!