Life is like a Spinning Class

I read a post on someone's blog today about life being like a spinning class, what a great post and it made me think a lot. In it she mentions how the instructor is like God, and telling you to keep pushing. One by one, he tells certain people they can stop, congratulates them, and gives them a prize. Meanwhile, he increases your speed and makes you go much longer. When you feel like you can't go any longer, he sends in some help, people to cheer your on, others to help you push the pedals etc... You just want to give up, since others already have, and it's not fair that some people got their prize and didn't do as much work as you! Finally comes the end. You get a prize, the same thing as everyone else...

What did you gain? Maybe, yes, a nicer butt. But hey, maybe the person who was told to get off after 10 minutes had a nice butt too, has a higher metabolism...NO FAIR! Or maybe, you gained endurance, or the knowledge that your have more strength than you ever knew you had. We can't compare ourselves to anyone else.

I heard a story similar to this about laborers. Some started at 5:00am, and worked all day, and some came at 4:00pm, and everyone got off work at 5:00pm. BUT everyone got the same wage. Is that really fair? Why not just show up at 4:00pm? Instead of complaining, ask yourself "what did I gain?"

Well the gospel is much like that. Some people have the gospel their entire lives, and in the end, everyone is searching for eternal life. Some people convert to the church, at the end of their lives, and still may get the same reward.

In D&C 130 18-19 it reads:

"Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come."

We DO benefit from working harder, from doing more, from enduring more....but that it is comparision to ourselves, no one else! God measures our success based on who we are individually, not who someone else is. Our progression has nothing to do with your neighbor.

Do we tend to sell ourselves short of life experiences--because really that's what life is all about--in order to live an easier life?

Do we tend to complain, mumble and grumble when trials come our way, while complaining that our neighbor has it easy, instead of learning from our experiences and gaining more knowledge?

What is the purpose of life?

Can I suggest that it has NOTHING to do with who gets rich quicker? Who gets married faster? Who has the hotter husband? Who has the most, or the cutest children? Who has the nicer clothes? The better job? The nicer butt? The most medals?

Life is all about learning, growth, progression!! We are here to progress. I would hate to get to the end of my life, knowing that I took the easy way out of everything just because it was too hard. Never ran the marathon because it was too hard, too much work, too much effort. Life is a marathon.

Can I suggest that life experiences can all be learned from! What is the purpose of the trial? What is the purpose of the pain? Why would Heavenly Father design a plan for pain? Wasn't Satan's plan easier--allowing us all to return and live with God, live through no pain (but no gain), and always be doing right? Sure seems like it.

Well, if you're reading this, you chose someone else's plan. Someone who knew better than to force us to do good, and to save us from all the pain, suffering, and trials that His plan would bring. You chose right. Buy WHY?

In 2 Nephi 2:11 it reads:

"For it must needs be, that there is an OPPOSITION in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad."

We could not progress without opposition. So why avoid it at all cost? We live in a world where we can't stand pain. People use drugs for everything. And I am guilty--Advil is my friend.

I also agree that medicine, technological advances, and discoveries can be used for great things! We are using our minds and CREATING! Another reason why we are here, to CREATE! What a wonderful thing.

But again...there is opposition with everything. With medicine that can be used for good, it can also be used for bad and over-abused and relied on too heavily--we can lose the power and confidence to know that our bodies are MIRACLES and designed to do certain things on their own. Technology can be used to communicate with family and friends, to spread great messages and to reach out--it can also destroy our souls if we rely solely on it's source, man.Discoveries can bring us more knowledge, excitement, hope--but can also make us forget the important things in life. There must be balance.

It's so important to THINK and to ask ourselves if what we are going through will bring us closer to the one who made us, our Father in Heaven. Instead of avoiding opposition and fear, we can be positive and optimistic, and learn from the curve balls that we are faced with. These experiences are for our good, and give us experience (D&C 122:7).

Life is BEAUTIFUL! Challenges aren't meant to destroy us, but to bring us one step closer to who we are meant to become.

We are all different. Some will be asked to come off the bike sooner than others, and given their prize because they did their very best and progressed!! Others will be asked to stay on a little longer, maybe sweat a little more, cry a little more, be in a little more pain....but when we are finally told we are done, we will be amazed at what we have accomplished--no matter when we are asked to get off. Shoot, the people who get off super quick may have nicer butts in the first place and don't need the extra time. We just don't know why some have challenges and others don't...we can't judge that. We are not the judges--thank goodness.

God knows us individually, knows what we can handle...embrace what comes your way and learn, grow, and in the end you will find strength beyond your own.