The Road to Becoming, Part 1

My whole life has been a process of becoming. Many people are "born" with gifts and talents, or are "natural" athletes or "gifted" students.

But for many, and I myself included, my gifts and talents have come painfully and slowly, but when they come I own them in the sense that they have in some small way, made me something more.

My first example, however meaningful or silly, would be to express that I am NOT a natural athlete and never was. However I was able to eventually play high school varsity soccer and one year of college as well.

My first experiences dabbling in the sport of soccer were just that, a dabble. The family recorder would show that as the other aggressive seven to eight year old children would fight for the ball I would fascinate myself with the quality of the field and peruse the dandelion patch seeing clearly that there wasn't room for my efforts surrounding the crowded ball.

However as time goes on, like many children I had the desire to "fit in" in junior high, wanted to try again.

The result of my first game was that after 5 minutes of game time I was nailed in the head with the ball by my own teammate and applauded off the field...

As I look back on the "road to becoming" even, becoming a soccer player, I realize even though everything showed and told me that I was not cut out for the darn sport, it was the people in my life that pushed me forward.

lesson 1 on the road to becoming: You are not your own.

It was the teammates that loved having me around and always pointing out when I did something right that kept me wanting to become better. It was my mom and dad, willing to claim their awkward daughter from the sidelines. In short, it was the love of others that made me believe I could become.

And even when support seems scarce, there is a Loving Heavenly Father that cheers us onward and we can receive His support in various ways. For me, it often was through other people, for others and at sometimes for myself, it is a quiet assurance that "I can do this."

So to say that "we are not our own" in becoming something more. I have discovered that what makes who we are, in part is the Love of God whatever form that Love comes you will find it and be humbled to realize that the reason you are where you are on your journey, is not through your sole efforts, but because you have been loved.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness... for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Ether 12:27, The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ