On doing things the hard way.

There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions. - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Of Things That Matter Most, General Conference, Oct 2010

I have done things the hard way for much of my life. Sometimes from sheer bulldog stubbornness. Sometimes because I blinked and missed the road sign. Sometimes because I was sick, or tired, or both. Those are the lessons that have tended to stick with me over time.

Sometimes the solution really is as simple as doing something I know is right when I would rather do something else. (Not necessarily a bad something. Just a different something. And sometimes even a very good something, but not the one that will bring about the greatest good.)

The scriptures talk about the lightness of the yoke and the easiness of the way, when we are yoked with the Savior. I am so grateful for His patience. It cannot be an easy thing to be willingly yoked to the infinitely distractible. And there are so many of us. I wonder how He keeps from being pulled all over Creation?

That may be where the "be still and know that I am God" kicks in.

I love it when He gently slices through the Gordian knots of my thought processes and shows me a single, simple, clear image of the desired result. Whether it's the application of a spiritual verity in my daily life, or something as simple as the remembrance of an item already in my possession (somewhere) that will serve the design function I'm currently pondering. I probably need to do the mental macrame in order to appreciate the sublime solution. (Thank you, Elder Maxwell.)