Christmas station identification

Back in October I posted my little "station identification" and here's a second installment. Faith and prayer have been on my mind again because of Christmas, which somehow this year has been more quiet yet meaningful to me than ever before.

Tomorrow my mom is teaching a lesson based on the very talk that inspired me, and having read my post, she asked if I would put my thoughts down into something she could share with the women in her class. It's not often I put my testimony in writing, but it came together well, and I thought I'd share it here:

At the time of General Conference in October, I had recently committed to myself to work on several areas of personal weakness. For a few weeks I had been making an earnest effort to improve, and had been trying to pray daily for help to do so. In fact, praying every day was something I have always struggled with, and while at first it seemed ironic to pray for help to remember to pray, I found when I humbled myself and asked for that help, I received "reminder" promptings and was blessed to find time and energy to follow through.

So when I heard Elder Bednar's talk on prayer, the topic was already on my mind and I felt as if his words were directed straight to my heart. The idea that my prayers--morning, evening, and throughout the day--are interconnected and thus powerful to bring the Lord's blessings into my life, resonated in me and gave me faith that with the Lord's help I could forge my weaknesses into strengths.

I turned to my prayers with renewed energy, and while I still struggled to pray more than once a day, I could tell it was getting easier to be consistent, and I knew the Lord's grace was compensating for my failings. I began to see incremental but tangible improvement in the areas where I was working to repent, and my prayers were answered as I was blessed with patience for myself and others, resources were brought to me to help and strengthen me, and I began to make the changes I needed to learn, grow and become better.

I know this is just the beginning, because my weaknesses will take a lifetime of repentence to master, but I am already feeling so much more peace and hopefulness, and above all a sense that those most challenging burdens have been lightened as I wrestle to overcome them. I know this is only possible through the infinite mercy of a loving God who desires for me to return to be with Him someday, and offers the power to me each day to do what I must do to look forward with a perfect brightness of hope to that ultimate goal.

I'm grateful for a living prophet and apostles who carry the good news of the gospel to us, bearing witness of its infinite truth and saving power. I am grateful for a compassionate, forgiving Savior who intercedes for me and offers to take away my burdens if I have faith in Him and act on that faith. And I am so grateful for the blessing of being able to pray to a loving, all-knowing Father in Heaven who is just waiting to bless me, waiting for me to ask for an understanding of His will in my life.