A Weakness of Mine

"Learning by faith and from experience are two of the central features of the Father’s plan of happiness." - Elder Holland

I learned last night that I depend too much on others to help me solve my problems. I latch on to one or two people where I am and expect them to do the work for me, in a sense. I can't remember it not being that way. In Flagstaff, I had two people. I had my good friend in San Diego, and now I've tried to use James to help me discover my purpose. While he has been helpful, he cannot do the work for me. Even on the mission, I would get to a breaking point and then call the assistants or my zone leaders, looking for a way out. No one can solve my problems. They are mine, and when I lean on those people more than I'm supposed to, they probably feel the burden. They have their own things to work through. They don't want to carry my weight when I'm not working and doing my part.

What, then, are friends for? How do we help each other while still respecting our individual responsibilities to progress? What purpose are we supposed to play in each other's lives? Where is the balance between helpfulness in our trials and usurpation of the load? What does being a friend look like to you? If I don't help other people in their trials, then there seems to be a distance between me and them; how do we connect while still leaving God as our focus?

There must be a way to draw everything back to Heavenly Father. I need help, sometimes He sends it to me in the form of someone else. But I am not supposed to put my trust in that person. The Lord was working through them. They reflect the light; they are not the Light.

Don't lean on anyone else. Lean on Him.