Enduring

I'd like to give you a bit of background before I launch into my topic. The sign in front of a chapel of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has the name of the church on it and "visitors welcome". If you go inside to attend Sacrament meeting, you'll find that it is quite different from other churches you have been to. While they sign hymns during the meeting and have what they call the Sacrament (called Communion or the Eucharist in other faiths), there is no sermon. Instead after the Sacrament has been passed, people asked ahead of time by the Bishop (who leads the ward) give talks on various subjects. Every month there is a topic and the speakers talk about various aspects of that topic.
A couple of weeks ago one of the members gave a really good talk on enduring to the end, which is this month's topic. I was certain it would be a good one, she has taught lessons in the women's class before and they were very good. I knew this wasn't going to be some pompous lecture. This was going to be interesting, fun and practical. (Yes, I did say fun.)
She compared enduring to the end to marriage. Since most of the adults in the ward either are or have been married, it was something that we could relate to. Actually, you could apply her remarks to any kind of commitment a person can make. She broke it down into periods.
There's the engagement. You're thinking about losing weight, getting a new job or are dating a person that you really like. It's new, it's exciting and you think about taking the next step.
The honeymoon. You've lost a few pounds and feel great. You've started the new job and are are getting used to your new coworkers. You're learning how to live with your new spouse. There are challenges, but things are still new and exciting.
The speaker called this next phase "young married life". Things are still new, but not quite so exciting and you settle into a routine. You're getting used to your new eating habits. You've settled in to your job. You have challenges in your marriage like housing, jobs and children.
This is the "Continued Progress" stage. This is where things start to get hard. You're tired of your diet and you've hit the weight loss plateau. Your job is now routine and has become something you do for the paycheck. This is the time in marriage where, if you aren't careful, you and your spouse can drift apart. The challenge is to keep going despite the fact that the newness and excitement have worn off.
Then we come to "Midlife Crisis". You aren't a size two. You have been promoted as far as you are going to go. You're getting older,your spouse is getting older, your children are getting older and have challenges of their own. You may be wondering if you did the right thing.
The next stage is "Empty Nesting". The kids are away at college or on missions and that is where much of your money is going. You're not a size two or even a size four. You still have your job,but you are looking forward to retiring.
Then there's "retirement". You've decided that as long as you are healthy you are fine the way you are. You have managed your money well and are able to retire from your job. You and your spouse are alone again. Many people use this time to take up hobbies they had no time for earlier.
The speaker ended with a few thoughts on enduring to the end which I'd like to share. I'm sure you have heard this all before, it's worth repeating anyway. "Living and surviving are two different things. One has light, love and life while the other has far less." Look to your goal and keep the best possible attitude. Be hopeful. "Just because you are in a trough doesn't mean you are not headed in the right direction." Keep an open mind and remember sometimes sprinting is not a good idea.
It's all a matter of persistence. In the end, it is worth it.
Thank you to J. Wanlass for giving this talk and allowing me to use her notes.