WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE?

 

I started writing this post with a disclaimer, but then I deleted it and said "NO".  If you don't like what I write or how I feel about something, then shut down your browser. 

 

Tonight, or I should say this morning is the dawn of a new ward development in our ward at Church.  For people not of the Mormon faith, let me briefly tell you what I mean about a "ward". 

 

A "ward" is your home place where you go to church. It is based on your address.  From there you have your "Stake", which is comprised of many "Ward's" within that "Stake's" boundaries.  From there you have districts, areas or whatever, I really don't know and right now it isn't important.

 

So, when a new ward is being developed it is most commonly done because a ward has become so big that it needs to be split, therefore, creating a new one.  Makes, pretty common sense, I'm sure.

 

Well, that is happening to our ward later this morning.  When the news of a ward split breaks out in most Mormon cultures I've been in there is always the rumblings of talks and rumors and speculations.  People get upset and jittery when a ward splits, they don't like it, they don't want it to happen, they don't want to lose friends.

 

Well, here is my lovely uninvited wisdom on this matter.

• People get upset and jittery - yep, but don't we all when change happens.  It's human nature for us to get antsy when things change.  It's that way for everybody.  Nobody is immune to it. 
• They don't like it, they don't want it to happen.  Why not?  Why not change, Why not have it happen?  Later on this....
• They don't want to lose friends - my biggest rant ever will happen right now!!!!
• When a ward splits it does not mean a friendship splits.  If it's a true friendship then the friendship remains.  It doesn't change if your new ward is now two streets over from your friend.  How absolutely stupid this whole part of the Mormon aspect of this is?  I HATE THIS!!!  I see it time and time and time again.  A ward splits and friendships go away.  It never fails.  How stupid are those that do this?  I'm going to stop, because I'm really going to speak my mind and that wouldn't be good.

So, this is going on in my church today and I'm fine with it and change is good, but where do you draw the line?  For the leaders in the church I'm sure it's been a very hard struggle deciding where the lines will be drawn and what the new boundaries will be for the new ward, making that the 3rd ward in my building.

 

Do you go North this way and east that?  Or do you go West this way and then turn South?  Do stop at that old Oak Tree or do you end at the railroad track?  Where do you draw the line?

 

Isn't this the same in life in general.  Where do you draw the line in your own life?  Think about it for a moment.....  I'll give you a minute.

 

You're back, great!  Now, hasn't drawing lines been causing wars and more wars since time began, literally.  The Native American Indians driven from their lands and told to stay in this section of land, where a line had been drawn.  Wars have been fought for  the right to have that part of that piece of dirt over on that line.  People, millions, people...I'm telling you people, millions of people have died over drawing the line.

 

In this entire globe of ours it's all been about lines.  I'm going to ask it again, WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE? and Who will do it?  Will it be you?  Probably not, your comfortable in your pajamas reading this crazy ladies blog about nothing really and thinking I'm full of manure.  Will it be your congressman?  Hell, no!  He's to worried about his line at the next ballot box.

 

Will it be our own President of the United States?  Not a chance.  He's trying to worry about other countries lines?  What about God?  Hmmmmmm....Now, I'm walking on sacred territory.  Could He?  Absolutely!  Will He?  No.  Why, because we all have our own free agency to go and do whatever we want to do with our life.

 

There are so many spinoffs of this subject that it can get out of hand and I'll get way off of track than where I wanted, but let me reel myself back in....In religion, at least in my religion we have boundaries that tell us where and when we need to meet for church each Sunday.  I hear alarms going off everywhere!  I know of some who feels this is a total wrong approach to basic religion in the first place.  Let me example this person's opinion and it's not mine, I guarantee you.  You'll know once you've read it.

 

This person I'll call Ball (That way I'm distinguishing between a he or she), believe that people should be able to go into ANY church, temple, synagogue, masque or anywhere else they hold a worship service and walk in a pray.  Period. Plain and simple.  Furthermore, those places of worship should be open 24/7 for everyone to have access to all the time.  Similar to a hospital chapel, such a shame most hospitals don't even have them anymore.

 

Ball thinks that there shouldn't be boundaries telling people when they should meet to worship, that they should be allowed to worship on Sunday whenever they want.  In having a conversation on this topic with Ball I said that there are structures to keep in place, classes to teach, preaches to preach, talks to be given, direction or inspiration given.  Something of a guideline.  Ball disagreed in an outrage.  Ball said you need none of that.  I asked Ball what we do need then and Ball said that we just need to have access to a worship place 24/7 and be able to go when we want, as much as we want. 

 

Ball said there should be no boundaries.  Ball said in the beginning there were no boundaries.  I simply, and rather sarcastically said that it was quite a few years ago.  I said what about teaching your children and receiving enlightenment from the spirit for yourself?  Ball said teach your own children, that's how it was done in Olden days (Ball meant biblical days).  As for us, Ball said read your scriptures and that's all you should need. 

 

Ball said no formal meeting, just this building available for worship with no one to organize and run a building.   A bit unrealistic.  Now you know it wasn't me.

 

But, now I want to go back to why people don't like change.  I think in Ball's case right now Ball is feeling that uneasy feeling of not liking change and Ball is fighting back Ball's feelings.  Mainly because Ball doesn't know how to express it. 

Change is good for all of us, even for poor Ball.  It helps us grow, in the case of a ward split, it gives us an opportunity for new make new friends and to strive to keep the ones we currently have now. 

Change can be a great positive thing in your life if you let it be or it can crush you like you've never felt before.  I've felt the crush of what pushing back change can do to you and I'll tell you it's a heavy burden to carry and I mean it's heavy. 

You don't need to be upset, scared, anger or frightened.  Change is a part of life.  It's like the lines.  If the lines weren't drawn, we wouldn't have such a magnificent country, we wouldn't have beautiful protected parks, our beaches and most beautiful landscapes wouldn't be protected, if the lines hadn't been drawn. 

Life wouldn't be the same without change.  We need change to stay alive.  That's a proven fact, although one I can't find the fact on right now at 3:27am.  Our bodies alone, change millions of times a day and that's miraculous. 

So, embrace change.  Enjoy it.  Draw healthy lines for yourself and your family.  If someone wants to change your line, then observe it, think about it and maybe it's for all the best reasons and you'll just have to figure it out along the way. 

I am Debbie and I was here...