Acceptance and Adaptation

My morning musings have brought me to this thought: Adaptation is a cursed blessing. The humanbody is amazing. It can adapt to almost anything. That is crucial to our survival. We can adapt to tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods. Recently a sun-loving transplant to our fair state reported that she liked the rain! We can adapt to temperature, climate and external forces of any kind. While people in Florida may put a parka on at 40 degrees, people in Minnesota break out their shorts. It only takes a few years and we can adapt to virtually anything.

Yet, their is a danger in this skill. When we adapt we become comfortable in our new situation. We accept this as the "new normal" and move on. Even the most dire of circumstances can lead to complacency. Already in our country mass killings have become almost common place. But I do not wish to dwell on that subject, rather my point is that adaption is wonderful for helping us cope with new things, however it can lead to a complacency that can hold us back. In the book of Mosiah Chapter 4 verse 30 it reads, "But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not." As I pondered on this scripture, I thought, watching yourselves could mean more then just checking to make sure we are keeping the commandments, but also to check if we are progressing as our Father in Heaven wants. Are we stuck in a spot because we have adapted and are now comfortable with our situation, when in reality we are far from our potential?

I know what my end goal is. I want my eternal family and I want all that the Lord hath. It is promised to us if we will be faithful and diligent disciples of Christ. But am I continually working toward that? No, I'm sometimes sitting in my comfortable rut until the Lord throws something big my way that makes me evaluate my place. I am glad that Heavenly Father wants to see me progress and I am glad of the trials that help me get there. Though the road is long, I know that the end will be worth every tear shed on my way. Now if only I can keep watching myself so that I don't become complacent in my journey. That's the key.