One Step at a Time

Recently, I went to Southern Utah with some friends to do some canyoneering. After we left the home base for our excursion and I didn’t have any choice, these friends thought they’d just mention that one of the nine repels we would be doing through the slot canyons was 170 ft. into water. Swimming with my backpack on was definitely a new experience! My first repel ever was when I was 13 years old. If my memory serves me correctly, since then, I have gone on average, once. I rock-climb 2-3 times per year and have done a near-complete job of overcoming my fear of heights. I don’t know if 170 ft. is a lot to you, but even the well-experienced guys tried not to have a trembled look in their eyes when they told me the height of this monster cliff. I replied with, “You have confidence in me being able to do this, right?” “Yup,” was their reply. “That's good,” I thought.

I very much like to do hard things. Well, I DO hard things, but I don’t always like it; however, I NEVER regret doing hard things because I learn something every time. I like that part. My personal motto on this trip was, ‘Just sit back in the harness, look forward, and take it one step at a time.’ While the others were checking out the contour of the routes on the cliff beforehand, I didn’t. I was a little too freaked out to look down there. I would find out soon enough and that was good enough for me. Let gravity do its trick.

So I’m hooked up, feet on the ledge and I repeat in my mind, “You've got this. Just sit back in the harness, look straight ahead at the rock, and walk down the cliff one step at a time.” Doing it this way was easy. One of the coolest parts about it was that I was in control. I had to really trust myself, which can be hard. I could go fast, slow, or stop. The others were good at reassuring me when I needed it. I ended up having lots of fun and each of the nine repels were a new adventure.

In life we need to just sit back, look forward, and take it one step at a time. Sometimes we aren’t patient enough with ourselves. Sometimes we don’t trust ourselves or the Lord enough. Whatever your journey, whether it is school, work, parenting, dating, marriage, trying to find work, seeking to feel the Lord’s love, just remember the Lord’s command: be still and know that I am God.

We are given commandments for our benefit. The gratification or glory from the world has no competition with the power and blessings given from the Lord when we keep his commandments. Elder Holland reminds us that, “On that very night [of Gethsemane], the night of greatest suffering the world has ever known or will know, [the Savior] said, ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you….Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ ” Have you ever thought about that as a commandment? He goes on to say, “I submit to you that [this] may be one of the Savior’s commandments that is…almost universally disobeyed (BYU, 1997).’”

Just like any other commandment, this particular one takes conscious effort. We can get caught up in fear, anxiety, distrust and find ourselves swirling around confused, not feeling sure about what the Spirit’s promptings feels like. In these moments of uncertainly and insecurity, we must turn to the Lord and ask him, as our Father, to comfort us and give us peace and confidence. He wants that for us. He wants us to know that we can trust ourselves and trust Him, especially if our desires are good. I have found that the scriptures are a key source of peace and strength for me. I turn to our prophet and apostles’ words for guidance. The Lord calms my soul and I become charged with confidence and reassurance that I am His and all is well. Recently, I had an experience that sent my security straight to the ground. I spent that time asking for confidence and strength, opening up my scriptures on my phone every time I felt weak. The result: I became strong. The Nephites in Helaman 3:35 did “fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in their faith in Christ.” In a world where we are judged by so many outward factors, we need to be strong in our faith. We need to know that we are His. Our eternal worth never changes, whether we feel we aren’t pretty enough, wealthy enough, elite enough, good enough or smart enough.

Remember, especially in moments of trial and weakness that the Lord gives us the Spirit for our comfort and guidance so that we may with ease, sit back, look forward, and take life one step at a time.