Today I had the opportunity to be able to teach a lesson in the Laurels class today. It was my first time to teach since I had been called about a month ago. Shortly after being called to be an advisor for the 16-18 year old girls in my ward. For some reason I knew that my first lesson would be sharing with these girls about overcoming their hard times and never giving up.
As I prayed what to teach these young women I notice that the lesson outline for November was on overcoming challenges. I knew I needed to open up to these girls and share the trials I went through as a youth and show them that what I went through as a young women made me stronger and more able to handle the current struggles I am going through now!
I have to admit I was pretty nervous about teaching. I know that when I feel the spirit I get emotional and my chest tightens, which affects my breathing and can cause a breathing attack… I prayed so hard to not only know what to teach these girls but also to have the health and strength to be able to teach what the Lord wanted me to teach to these girls! I was also anxious at how my daughter Shaniah who is in the class would handle me as her teacher! I knew the Lord wanted me there for a reason and that I must just trust Him and allow him to work through me to share with these young women how I make it through each trial I am faced with.
I began my lesson by sharing my story of when I was a gymnast, swimmer, and diver and all the adversity I went through (I shared that story in a post on this blog back on Sept. 4, 2014). I could feel the spirit so strong as I opened up and shared my story with them. I showed this video to explain how we can handle our struggles.
As a class we discussed some key points of the video and how they can help us overcome our trials.
- If we have faith we can handle difficulties. If we keep an eternal perspective through our challenges we know all will be well
- Replace Fear with FAITH
- We will all have heartaches and challenges… but be patient with yourself , perfection comes not in this life but in the next.
- Don’t demand things that are unreasonable but only improvement.
- Allow the Lord to help you through your struggles and HE will make the difference.
- Gospel allows us to find the strength we need in theses tough times.
We then talked about different ways to overcome trials using quotes, scriptures, and stories that I handed out to each girl. What was truly amazing to me is how much each young woman started to open up and share what they were going through and how much they felt what they read was just for them.
I told them that everyone has challenges and NO one is immune from them, The Lord has made it that way so that we can grow and become what He wants us to be! If we never have challenges or taste of the bitter how will we ever know the sweet!
There was so much more we talked about and shared during the lesson that I can't remember the half of it. But the one thing I will not ever forget is that by the end of the lesson I knew each girl was touched by the spirt. Each had shed their own tears at sometime during that lesson. I know it was not me because I was only the mouth piece for the Lord and tried to share those things that the girls needed to hear. Only He knows what each one of those girls needed and I was so thankful that I could be an instrument in His hands today.
I ended with my testimony of how trials strengthen us and refine us and help us become more than we could ever become on our own. I then talked about the Savior and the atonement and how it allows us to come unto him to be forgiven, strengthened, and find more joy as we endure the hardships in this life.
I told them that everyone has challenges and NO one is immune from them, The Lord has made it that way so that we can grow and become what He wants us to be! If we never have challenges or taste of the bitter how will we ever know the sweet!
There was so much more we talked about and shared during the lesson that I can't remember the half of it. But the one thing I will not ever forget is that by the end of the lesson I knew each girl was touched by the spirt. Each had shed their own tears at sometime during that lesson. I know it was not me because I was only the mouth piece for the Lord and tried to share those things that the girls needed to hear. Only He knows what each one of those girls needed and I was so thankful that I could be an instrument in His hands today.
I ended with my testimony of how trials strengthen us and refine us and help us become more than we could ever become on our own. I then talked about the Savior and the atonement and how it allows us to come unto him to be forgiven, strengthened, and find more joy as we endure the hardships in this life.
I rode home in the car with my daughter Shaniah and asked her if what she thought about the lesson today. She started to cry and told me "Mom, this is exactly what we need, We need to know that we are not the only ones going through struggles and to know how to get help when we need it."
Her comment touched my heart so much and I was so thankful to the Lord for giving me the strength I needed to get through the lesson and by allowing the Holy Ghost to help these girls feel the spirt and gain the hope they needed to Never Give Up!
I gave the girls this handout to remind them of todays lesson.
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