Another Quart of Pickle Juice

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a GREAT speaker! I've been thinking of a talk he gave in April 2012 entitled "The Laborers in the Vineyard." He spoke of the parable found in Matthew 20. I won't review the parable here because you can always look that up in the Bible yourselves, but I am going to quote two paragraphs of a lesson we can learn from that parable as stated by Elder Holland.

"Brothers and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt--and certainly not to feel envious--when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the most blessed. The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those.

Furthermore, envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some misfortune befalls us, but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune that befalls everyone we know! What a bright prospect that is--downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment! To say nothing of the chagrin in the end, when we find that God really is both just and merciful, giving to all who stand with Him 'all that he hath,' as the scripture says. So lesson number one from the Lord's vineyard: coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not elevate your standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So be kind and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live."

Nothing needs to be said further, but here I go anyway. The parts that really stand out to me today are:

1) We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. So true, so profound. I need to work harder at celebrating with others and helping them to recognize and enjoy their "added upons."

2) Pouting does not elevate your standing. I think it might be alright occasionally to pout or pour out your heart to Heavenly Father privately, you know, just to help you get over some of the bumps in your road. Private pouting may be fine for a few seconds until you can muster the strength to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, slap a smile on your face, and move forward. However, public pouting is unbecoming.

3) So be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live. Aren't those the sweetest words? Such a calm, assuring reminder. It is a happy way to live. And who doesn't want to be happy?