Apologizing is relieving

Feeling the promptings of the spirit, and listening to it is a powerful feeling. Attending the 10th anniversary for Time Out For Women yesterday was exactly what I needed to hear with all that has happened since the year 2012 began. Every once in a while we need to rejuvenate our spirits, and take a "time out" from our life as a mother to sit and listen to wonderful talks presented by amazing speakers who are members of our church. If you like General Conference you'll sure grow to love attending a Time Out For Women event, and it's specifically for women only.

All the talks that were shared that day were real, true, and spoken to me in ways I could never have imagined. Some of these talks were directed at me, and they were something that I really needed to hear.

I really enjoyed this day. Meeting with other sisters from all over the east coast makes the spiritual side of the sisterhood really strong. It was also nice running into old friends from the past. It's true what they say. When it comes to the LDS church...it is a small world!

Leah and I. We were in the same ward in North Carolina four years ago, and this was the first time seeing her since we both moved further east!

On the two hour drive home my good friend Faith and I discussed some of the things we got out of the talks, and the things we'd like to change about ourselves, as well as finding solutions from our prayers to find ways in "seeking the good".  How we as mothers, sisters, neighbors, and friends can be an example and shed the light of Christ. To live the standards of the gospel, help improve our weaknesses, and have unity within everyone we are surrounded with. To pray harder for ourselves, and to have a constant happiness within us.

Faith and I

Wendy Ulrich who offers seminar retreats on forgiveness, abundant life, loss, and spiritual growth talked about the sacred power of apology, and in a lot of ways...it really hit home.

I don't do well with contention. If I feel I have wronged someone or even think that I hurt someones feelings, I'll go up to that person and let them know, or better yet...apologize. All my life I have always been the one to apologize first, but in a most recent experience it took me longer to apologize to this certain sister. I felt that it wasn't my fault, and that I am going to let my pride take over, and just ignore her at church. I found reasons in not talking to her, and for almost a month said to myself, "well she's not talking to me so why should I talk to her?" and "It's not my fault, she needs to make the first move." That was not Christlike. Oh no...that wasn't.

It felt so sad coming to church walking through the halls without a greeting, a look in the eye, or even a simple smile. Sitting on the other side of the Relief Society room just going about my business fellowshipping other sisters except her. I couldn't take it anymore. My heart is too soft, and the guilt and the love of Christ began to pour over me. Sure enough I ended up apologizing, and it seems like things are okay between us.

Wendy also mentioned in her talk that instead of praying for people to change, that we need to pray for ourselves to change. She hit that right on the nail.

There were five questions that she asked during her talk, and they were:

1. Who has annoyed or hurt you lately?
2. If that person sincerely apologized, how would it help?
3. Who's been annoyed with you or hurt by you lately?
4. Have you sincerely apologized?
5. If not...do you know what is stopping you?

I thought about those questions and I hope that some of us will examine them and take them to heart. Some of us may not know how to say "I'm sorry", and others may see it as a sign of weakness. Well, I certainly don't want to look at it in any of those ways, and never again do I want to wait to say I'm sorry no matter if I think it's my fault or not.

From the words of Wendy Ulrich I learned that it's never too late to apologize. Be responsible, have empathy, and fix it because you may never have that chance to apologize.