Elder Goss---W:89 San Diego let's go (May 18, 2021)

 

I really couldn't think of an interesting title. But San Diego rocks, so it played out nicely. 

Well, this week, we didn't have the sacrament! I bet at first that sounds surprising. Is Elder Goss disobedient? Did they run out of bread? Nope. Instead, we had our Stake Conference! It was great. The last speaker had an incredible message about following the prophet. 

However, just as the first half of the paragraph above was written out-of-context, which led to confusion or concern, so can other truths! Information can be easily equivocated when details are left out. Don't take any news or "special new thing" for its face value. Remember that, kids! Don't try this at home.  

For P-day today, we went to an Ice-skating rink! But we didn't ice-skate. Just kidding, of course we did. It was lots of fun, and there were a surprising number of Missionaries who were really fire on the ice. I fell down a couple times, but no bruises (surprisingly). And this actually leads me to my spiritual thought. 

While there were many proficient ice-skaters, there were also a couple newbies. They were very unfamiliar with the sensation of locomotion on a slippery surface. Sorry, I'm lapsing into fancy language. I remember when I struggled on my first times roller-skating. It's embarrassing. Especially, when all your peers surpass your level by a mile. It is in human nature to enjoy things we are good at, and equally so to dislike and loath activities where we aren't talented. I was very impressed with the few Missionaries who stuck at it, slowly sliding around the rink with a firm grip on the rail. They were laughing and smiling, even as their friends whizzed past.  

And I found myself wondering why. I know that for myself, on a bad day, I would have just sat on the sidelines and found something else to do. I really don't enjoy pretending to like something I'm not good at, or enduring the well-meant-but-slightly-condescending encouragement that newbies often get. I also just don't want to have to struggle, especially not openly.  

I want to encourage everyone who reads this to feel okay. It is okay to not be the best. It is okay to be the worst. As I skated past those missionaries, I wanted to tell them that every one of us, even the professional skaters, started at that level. The only difference is, they just happened to start later. There is no shame in taking the first baby steps towards mastery, even if you need training wheels. And even if they never end up gaining adequate experience to become a master, they had something that many others in that rink didn't have: the ability to enjoy oneself even in the most alien and embarassing of places. Their satisfaction didn't come from competence. Those missionaries decided (most likely a long time ago), that they would be happy regardless of where they were, what they were doing, or how good they were at it.  

Follow their footsteps! Even if you need training wheels! You got this.  

I miss you all!

Elder Goss