We Are All Connected

We are all connected.

It's the reason a tiny virus was able to traverse the entire globe within a few months. It's the reason programs like Zoom have soared in popularity since March 2020—so we can keep that connection, at least virtually.

I've been thinking a lot about influence lately, specifically my own desire to have an impact on the world. I'm sure I'm not the only one to ponder their place in the world—to long to make some lasting difference in the lives of others.

Yet when I read the biographies of influential people—whether they be politicians or prophets, authors or artists—I end up thinking, "Will I ever amount to anything like that? Will I actually leave a mark on the world?"

Thankfully, as I've continued to read about such incredible people, I've realized a simple yet profound truth: that behind every single influential person there stands an army of influencers. Parents who, at the very least, brought them into the world and, more likely, sacrificed greatly in order to nurture and provide for them. Teachers who imparted knowledge and wisdom. Siblings, friends, neighbors, colleagues, mentors, and on and on, each leaving their indelible imprint. And they too were backed by their own armies of influencers.

Because of this, I no longer believe that greatness is defined by how many people know of you, how high you climb the ladder of fame, or how many books will eventually be written about you. I believe greatness is defined by following God's plan for you and doing your best in your own sphere of influence—no matter how big or small that sphere is.

For who is more important, influential, and honorable?—the doctor performing surgery with an array of intricate medical supplies, or the truck driver who delivered those medical supplies to the hospital? The nurse who is caring for dozens of covid patients, or the janitor who is constantly disinfecting room after room?

There are very few people who influence the whole world. But all of us influence some part of the world, so TOGETHER we can influence all of it. Just as the coronavirus is invisible to the naked eye, our influence goes mostly unseen, but I truly believe that, over time, it too can traverse the entire globe.

Atomic Bombs, Refugees, and the Coronavirus

The coronavirus has infected the bodies of over a quarter of a million people, but it has infected the minds of so many more, including my own. For the last few weeks, covid-19 has dominated my thoughts and my actions. At first, I'd check social media to see what funny coronavirus and TP memes were being posted. Then, I'd browse news sites to see the latest in how this pandemic is changing the world. But now, as the novelty of this novel virus has started to wear off, my curiosity has been transformed into concern ... then worry ... then fear. There are so many unanswered questions—so much instability and unpredictability.

With that at the forefront of my mind, two things have brought me hope and direction in the last few days.

The first is a quote from C.S. Lewis about the atomic bomb. The full quote can be found in this article, but here's the most relevant part, with "atomic bomb" replaced by "the coronavirus":

The first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by [the coronavirus], let that [virus] when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about [the coronavirus]. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.

I know that it's good to be informed about the coronavirus. But "being informed" doesn't mean thinking about it (and its economic impacts) all day long, opening Facebook a hundred times a day, and reading news articles every spare moment. I want to fill my life back up with "sensible and human things," like spending quality time with my family, enjoying nature and hobbies, learning, teaching, serving, and loving.

The second thought I had is from a book I'm reading right now, The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri. I in no way seek to trivialize the hardships of refugees by comparing my struggles to theirs, but at the same time, I've found hope from their examples.

As I've read the plights of these asylum-seekers, the idea of "limbo" has caught my attention because that's exactly what so many of us are feeling right now—in a state of limbo. The dictionary describes it perfectly as "an uncertain period of awaiting a decision or resolution; an intermediate state or condition." Here's what the author of The Ungrateful Refugee had to say about this:

People think of the refugee camp as a purgatory, a liminal space without shape or color. And it is that. But we kept our instinct for joy. We made friends and we studied and made a community, as we had every day in Iran. Journalists and aid workers who visit camps often comment on this aspect of the psyche—how can these people carry on with their gossip and petty dramas and daily pleasures? How can they endure the limbo?

Much later in life, years after finding a new home in the United States, the author visited a refugee camp in Greece. In this camp, where there was "nothing to see but dogs and children and naked gloom" outside, she was surprised upon entering the house of a family who has truly made the place their home:

Above the midnight blue laminate of the kitchenette hangs a yellow floral curtain, calling out the yellow of the turmeric in a jar. ... The dishes are washed. It seems heroic to me, every scavenged and scrubbed item, the toil to keep her family’s dignity in this wasteland. What stores of willpower it takes for this couple to commit to making these rooms a home. The very air in a camp is heavy, making you listless, pushing you into your bed. Their refusal to sit and wait is a daily resistance, a gift to their daughters. These childhood days at LM will not be marred by poverty and anticipation for them. LM Village will be just another chapter of their lives. They might have their next birthday here. They might learn to read here.

I have no idea how long we're all going to be in this limbo. But I think we'll all get through this better if we "refuse to sit and wait" for this to be over. In other words, let's make the most of this time that we have, living in the present instead of fretting over the future. Like refugees, we can hold on to the hope that one day, our lives will reclaim a sense of normalcy. And when that day comes, I don't want to look back at the time I spent in limbo and regret the way that I spent it.

Counting the Apples in a Seed

"You can count the seeds in an apple, but you cannot count the apples in a seed." This quote came up on my Facebook newsfeed a few weeks ago, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I'm sure there are a lot of applications, but the one that sticks with me the most is the idea of influence.

You may think you're just one person—a single apple—with a short time on this earth, so what good could you possibly do in the world? However, the "seeds" you plant in others by your kindness and good deeds have a profound and lasting effect on others, a ripple effect that continues until the world is indeed changed in some way because of you.

This thought is definitely uplifting, but I also found something else there that was nagging at me. It was a call to action, specifically about how I use my time. I started thinking about the things I fill my day with, asking the question, "By doing this thing, am I just eating my own apple, or am I planting its seeds?" Am I just scrolling mindlessly through Facebook, or am I seeking to add or promote uplifting content through it? Am I watching hours of TV, which only benefits me, or am I doing something that will somehow benefit others?

Now, don't get me wrong—I'm all about self-care. If we just "go go go" helping everyone else without also taking time for ourselves, we'll get burnt out. But I've noticed that, at least for me, self-care can very quickly deteriorate into self-indulgence if I'm not careful. And I've also noticed how truly happy I am when I'm engaged in worthwhile (influential) activities, much more so than when I'm binging on Netflix or oversleeping. Maybe this is what Jesus Christ meant in Matthew 16:25—"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." The greatest joy and fulfillment we find is in "losing" our time in making the world a better place, not by "saving" all that time for ourselves.

Every one of us can metaphorically plant our apple seeds by filling our time with service to others, creative pursuits, and self-improvement. This will look different for every person because we all have different talents and opportunities. But know this—you do have something to offer the world, and the seeds you plant matter. Ultimately, the more seeds we plant, the more apples we can enjoy: not just our own, but also the fruits of our labors in the lives of countless others.

What I Learned From 125,000 Rounds of Chutes and Ladders

In church on Sunday, the teacher compared our lives to a game of Chutes and Ladders. Sometimes things go well, and we seem to be climbing all the ladders, but at other times, the chutes seem to always bring us back to square one.

I remembered that about a year ago, I was bored and decided to write a computer program simulating the game. I wanted to know how many turns it takes on average to win by reaching the 100th square.

After running the game simulation 125,000 times, the program calculated that it takes an average of 39 turns to win the game. But what about the minimum and the maximum number of turns? What if you were the luckiest player ever and rolled the perfect series of numbers? Or what if you were the unluckiest player and couldn't seem to reach the last square for the life of you? Well, here are the statistics:

• The minimum number of turns to win the game was 7.
• The maximum number of turns to win the game was ... 417. That's almost 60 times more than the minimum number!

So, I got to thinking about how this relates to life.

It might seem like some people have life pretty easy. They seem to have everything going for them—a strong support system, excellent physical and mental health, talents that make it easy to be successful, and so on. They get through the game of life in an easy 7 turns, so to speak.

Most people are probably in the realm of 39 turns, hitting both chutes and ladders throughout their lives.

And then there are the people who seem to always be swimming upstream, facing obstacle after obstacle. And even when they manage to significantly move forward at one point, those blasted chutes just keep bringing them down. Or they might roll only 1s and 2s, making progress annoyingly slow. Surely they climb ladders along the way, but it's hard to be happy about it when you know another chute is lingering right around the corner!

So, if you feel like you're in that final category, take heart in knowing this: the only way to lose the game is to stop playing. If you just keep persevering and rolling that die—time after time, turn after turn—eventually you will make it to the final square. Even if it takes you 417 turns.

A Miraculous Turn of Events: 2,000 Years Ago and Today

Recently I experienced a series of seemingly insignificant events that led to a very significant message from God. Today as I was thinking about this, I realized how similar it is to the New Testament story when Jesus Christ directs Peter to go fishing in order to find the money needed to pay a tax.

The Coin in the Fish's Mouth

"Go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." (Matthew 17:27)

This story, in my opinion, is one of the most fascinating of Christ's miracles. It may seem simple and mundane at first, but what astounds me is the turn of events that needed to happen in order for the miracle to occur:

• Somebody was carrying a four-drachma coin, which was the exact amount Peter would later need to pay the tax (two drachma for him and two for Jesus).

• This person lost that coin in the Sea of Galilee (an area of 64 square miles).

• A fish managed to pick this coin up at some point and keep it in its mouth.

• This fish happened to be in the exact place that Peter would cast his line, and it was the very first fish to get caught on the line.

Peter had a need, and our omnipotent God began a miraculous series of events to satisfy this need, even before the need was even known! And what touches me even more is that the money would go toward fixing a mistake that Peter himself made (by answering incorrectly about Jesus owing taxes). This shows that even when our trials are of our own making, God still has compassion on us and wants to help us solve our problems.

So, do miracles like this happen in our day? Based on events in my own life this last week, I can definitely say yes, they do!

Much-Needed Comfort ... in a Roundabout Way

Without getting into much detail, I've had some health problems recently that have naturally come with a long trail of medical bills. It's not more than we can handle, but it's been a stressor for me, especially because the dozens of medical tests have yielded no results. This has been really weighing on me lately, but as usual, an omnipotent God came through with answers ... through a miraculous turn of events:

• My daughters got sick with colds at the end of last week.

• On Sunday, my husband offered to stay home with them during sacrament meeting so that I could go. Because I was without my kids, I was able to actually listen and focus!

• The assigned speakers didn't take the entire time, so our bishop was inspired to ask two young women to come and bear their testimonies. One of the young women briefly shared that she's had some health problems recently but has been able to develop greater faith through it all.

• I felt impressed to reach out to this young woman, so I texted her and asked her to share her experiences with me. She suggested that we meet up and talk.

• On Monday evening, she came over and we had a really good discussion. I learned a lot from her, like the importance of praying often when dealing with health issues.

• She mentioned a book she was reading (given to her by another member of the ward) that has also helped her out. Later that night, she actually delivered a copy of the book to me, saying that she felt impressed to just go out and buy it for me because it felt time-sensitive.

• On Tuesday night, I was feeling really off-balance because of the financial stress, and I asked Heavenly Father to help me find balance again.

• On Wednesday evening, I didn't have any freelancing work to do, so I picked up the book. I noticed there was a chapter on money and turned right to it.

And there, in that chapter, was my four-drachra coin: the exact thing that I needed in order to find balance again. Several quotes really stood out to me, including these two:

"Start burring the boundaries between money coming in and money going out. Both flows sustain and nourish you. Just as a plant takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, we must both receive money and release it." [185] 

"Within your emotional reaction to every money issue, opportunity, debt, bill, or challenge is an opportunity to find joy. Alarmed by those overcharge drafts you incurred? First, shift your original fear into joy by being grateful that you have a bank account. Now pay attention to the message of fear, which says that it's time to take action." [190]

These simple gems of wisdom were enough to lift my burden, pulling me out of my rut and helping me refocus on the future with joy.

A One-Time Thing?

After this happened, I thought back to all the events that led to that point, and I was in awe at the goodness of God. But that got me thinking: was this really just a one-time thing, or is God that involved in our lives all the time and we just don't see it? It reminds me of a scripture in the Book of Mormon:

"And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes." (2 Nephi 30:6)

I think that in a coming day, the "scales of darkness" will also fall from our eyes as we look back on our lives and realize just how intricately the Lord was involved in blessing us. And as we wait for that glorious day, perhaps we can pray to discern these small yet significant miracles in our lives right now.

The story of the coin in the fish's mouth is a reminder to us all that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and truly wants to help us. It requires a little effort on our part—having the faith to "cast your line" out there—but our efforts will always be preceded and followed by God's often unseen blessings. As the Lord Himself says, "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." (D&C 84:88) I know that this is true, and I hope and pray that we all feel that a little bit more in our lives.

The Kingdom of Heaven

The Kingdom of Heaven

Written by Liz Kazandzhy while serving a mission in Ukraine

The kingdom of heaven is like a pearl of great price

To a merchant man seeking such treasure,

Who, when he discovered its matchless beauty,

Went and sold all he had with pleasure.

From his home he collected his rubies;

From his shop, all his silver and gold;

From his yard, all the gems he had buried;

Now all with intent to be sold.

He went to his places of hiding

Where diamonds had laid for so long.

He remembered his favorite topaz—

So golden, translucent, and strong.

He gathered them all for the selling,

For he knew it would cost all he had.

Some who saw watched him with wonder

While others were sure he was mad.

Was it hard? Oh you can't imagine

The war that was waged in his soul!

But with every doubt he remembered

The image of one priceless pearl.

And when all was gathered and ready,

He went to the market to trade.

"All that you have in exchange for the pearl"—

With pleasure the bargain was made.

The kingdom of heaven is like the worth of a soul

To a missionary seeking to serve,

Who, when he discovered the grace of the Lord,

Put his life for two years on reserve.

At home he left friends and his family,

Took leave from employment and school.

He put away favorite hobbies,

All to become the Lord's tool.

While serving, he discovered his weakness,

Habits he'd held to for years,

Traits not entirely Christlike,

Like pride and doubt and fears.

He cast them off each one by one,

For he knew the Lord needed his all.

Many admired his service

While others thought he was a fool.

Was it hard? Oh how you can't imagine

The war that was waged in his soul!

But always the image he kept in his mind:

A child of God, saved and whole.

And when he had finished his mission,

He went to the Lord and heard,

"All of your might in exchange for your soul."

"But wait," he thought, "what was that word?

My own soul I never considered;

It was not for myself that I gave

My heart and my might, my mind and my strength,

So why is it I have been saved?"

And thus he discovered the secret,

The irony of this great labor:

You thrust in your sickle for others

Yet bring to yourself God's favor.

In teaching, you're filled with His knowledge;

In serving, you're filled with His love;

In daily fulfilling His work and His glory,

You're filled with His power from above.

Oh, the kingdom of heaven, what an honor to build

While the God of that kingdom builds you!

"All that I have in exchange for your will"—

Thus He blesses the faithful and true.

Reflection Questions

• How have you noticed God building you as you've striven to build His kingdom?
• In what ways have you been blessed by your sacrifices?
• What are some things you could "cast off" from your life right now in order to be closer to Heavenly Father and the Savior?

What If God Were Your Employer?

Since the beginning of the year, I've gotten really into the freelancing scene as an editor on Upwork.com. Throughout the day when I have downtime, I browse and apply to different jobs. And then in the evening, I work on the jobs that I get hired for. It was difficult starting out because I was competing with other freelancers with more experience on Upwork, but I persevered and was hired for a few small jobs. Because of positive client feedback, this has had a snowball effect, leading to many more jobs since.

There was a certain day when I was playing with my 2-year-old daughter Katya, and my mind was unfortunately more occupied on how to land my next contract on Upwork than on giving my full attention to her. But then I had a simple thought, surely from the Holy Ghost: "What if this—being a mother—was an Upwork job?"

Here I was, spending any time I could reading job descriptions, bidding for contracts, and performing each job to the very best of my ability, especially for the sake of getting positive feedback. And yet I also had a "job" right in front of me: being a mother to my daughter. And that got me thinking ... what if God were my employer? What would His job description be for my different roles? How am I doing in fulfilling them? And what feedback would He write about me and my work? Here are some things I came up with as I thought about these questions.

How would God write your "job description"?

All of us have different roles in our lives. Family roles could include spouse, parent, child, sibling, aunt/uncle, grandparent, etc. Professional roles differ depending on your field of work. Perhaps you're involved in other things, like pursuing an education or participating in service organizations. A calling at Church certainly counts as a role as well.

Try making a list of all of your roles: all of the "jobs" you're striving to perform and balance in your life. And then ask yourself for each of them, "What does God expect of me in this role?" In other words, how would God write each "job description"?

I think sometimes we get so caught up in our daily, mundane tasks that we forget to see the bigger picture. Am I changing diapers, cooking meals, and chasing kids around every day? Well yeah, but that's the how, not the what (and certainly not the why). What I'm really doing, or rather what I'm trying to do, is this:

Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live.

Heavenly Father even goes on to share how we can be successful in our family roles:

Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.

Seeing your life's roles from a higher, more divine perspective can help keep you on the right track and motivate you in moving forward.

How can you communicate with Him about your "work"?

Upwork has a very convenient message system through which freelancers and clients can communicate. As I perform a job, I stay in close communication with my client to make sure I understand expectations and can ask questions when issues arise.

How can we communicate with God as we seek to perform His work? As the popular phrase goes, "When we want to speak to God, we pray. And when we want Him to speak to us, we search the scriptures; for His words are spoken through His prophets. He will then teach us as we listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit" (Robert D. Hales). It's important to do this every day since our lives are filled with questions that often only He can answer.

Through prayer, we can share our concerns with our Heavenly Father and ask specific questions about the issues we're facing in our various roles. We can also ask Him what He thinks about our lives, what's going well, and what we could improve. It's always a little scary to ask questions like this that make you vulnerable, but in my experience, it's so worth it.

After we've expressed our questions and concerns to God, He will respond to our prayers if we humbly and diligently seek answers. This revelation can come in a variety of ways: from the scriptures, general conference, and other Church resources certainly, but it could also be in the words of a song, an inspired Facebook post, or a conversation with a friend. It might just be your own thoughts and feelings as you take time to ponder these things.

One example of this happened to me last week. I was having a hard time with something, and on a drive to a friend's house, a song came on the radio with the lyrics, "Would you choose water over wine?" I have no idea the original meaning that Incubus intended for these lyrics, but for me, they were an answer to prayer. The question I heard instead was this: "Are you going to hold on to your hurt and let your pride keep you from progressing, or will you humble yourself and let the Savior transform that hurt into healing?" Why was I choosing water over wine, not allowing the Lord to miraculously change me?

This is just one example of personal revelation I've received. I know that the heavens are open to anyone who seeks God's approval and desires to communicate with Him. He knows how best to communicate with you specifically, and He will tell you everything you need to do in order to perform your tasks and live your life in the very best way possible.

What does God think of your "job performance"?

Have you ever asked Heavenly Father what He thinks about how you're fulfilling your various roles? I don't think this is something we're used to doing. Sure, we may pray often, thanking Heavenly Father for our blessings and requesting help for ourselves and others. But have you ever just flat out asked God what He thinks about you? Maybe there's a spiritually self-conscious part of us that is afraid of what He might say. After all, He sees the big picture and knows us perfectly, including all of our flaws.

Nonetheless, I invite you to try this. Pray to God and ask, "Heavenly Father... how do you feel about me? How do you think I'm doing as a [insert role here]?" I don't know what His answer will be, or how He'll manifest that to you, but I know one thing for sure: He loves you, no matter what. And He is eager to tell you that.

Also, if there are things you can improve, which surely is the case for all of us, He'll let you know gradually, with love, understanding, and patience. He's not some uncaring boss just looking for an excuse to call you out or fire you. He's the type of boss who understands that His workers are just as important as His work. In fact, we are His work: "For behold, this is [His] work and [His] glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of [all of us]" (Moses 1:39).

I hope that we can all strive to see our lives as God does, stay in close communication with Him, and eventually receive His glorious feedback, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." (Matthew 25:21)

Share your own thoughts

What do you think God expects of you in your various roles? How does thinking about this change the way you live your life? Feel free to share in the comments section!