Ship Shape Faith

Have you ever wondered where the term "ship shape" came from? Quentin L. Cook learned that in Bristol Harbor the tidal range was 43 feet.  "At low tide when the water receded, the old ships would hit bottom and fall on their sides, and if the ships were not well built , they would be damaged.  In addition, everything  that was not tied down would be thrown in a chaotic fashion and ruined or spoiled." He was encouraged by mission leaders to be "shipshape and Bristol fashion." Read his full remarks here.

Having ship shape faith implies a strength that we don't always feel.  There will be times when everything we know is swept out from under us, those are the times we really need to feel the Love of Christ in our lives. When we're tipped over and all the people and things in our lives fall out of our lives because we're just so shaken.  When we question EVERYTHING, every decision we've ever made, everything we know to be true. Before reading this talk I described this as spiritually being knocked on your butt.  It's when you get hit and you didn't even see it coming, you're knocked off balance and down you go.  Those moments when we get knocked down hurt SO much.  The times of questioning are SO hard.  

What's gotten me through those times is coming back to the basics; God loves me, I am His child, Jesus Christ suffered and died for me, and He is with me every step of the way.

We had a stake relief society conference (for all women over 16 in our 8 church congregations) last week and the theme was "Live Like You Believe." The point that was driven home to me was that when we've been knocked on our butts, when we don't feel strong we need to do the things that we did when we felt our faith was strong;  we need to pray, we need to go to church, we need to seek answers in scripture and from inspired leaders. When we do these things it strengthens our faith and builds us during a time when we feel week; a time when we need strengthening most. 

These acts are important during calm times in our lives as well. Like the sailors on Bristol harbor must tie down their load even when the tide is high or when the seas are calm we are in essence tying down the important stuff even when we don't see the storms coming.  Elder Cook explains, "life is not easy, nor was it meant to be...Like the old ships in Bristol Harbor, there will be times when the tide goes out and it seems as if everything in this world keeping us afloat disappears. We may hit the bottom and even be tipped over on our sides [or knocked on our butts]. Amid such trials, I promise you that living and maintaining temple-worthy lives will hold together all that really matters." (Ensign, Nov 2015, p 42.)

That promise has brought me through SO much. There have been moments when I've had to look long and hard to see the things that REALLY matter in my life and I've had to let the other things fall out of my life but I know the things that really matter have been held together. I KNOW God loves us.

Read More Here:

Finding Light In Spiritually Dark Times

Finding Joy

Faith and Piano Lessons