Joy

Today has proven to been an interesting day in the life of Matt Montoya. Only after spending time pondering the important things of life, such as love, relationships, spirituality, and personal accountability, I learned something important about the way we treat other people.

You see, this girl was mean to me. I called her and called her and she wasn't calling back, and then she called back but I was in choir so I couldn't answer, then I called her and she didn't answer. So, long story short, she wasn't getting back to me.

But I have a good roommate, Nate. He taught me to never burn bridges, ever. So I was very civil in my text messages to her this evening, and she said she was very busy and forgot to text me back, and yes she was working on Thursday night. So she obviously had no interest in meeting me further because she forgot to text me back, but I was very civil to her. I even said "let me know if you ever want to do something," which I found hard to do but I did it anyways, knowing full well it won't happen. Nate said it was nice to say, and Noel and Hailey backed it up. She obviously appreciated this civility and told me "not to feel like a creeper" for calling her so much (I told her I felt creepy after calling her a bunch of times), and so I felt clean and good about things.

I am reading The Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 2 and I happened upon verse 25:
"Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy."

The words are too profound for me to have comprehended them in the past, even as a missionary. The purpose of life is joy. We are on the earth to experience joy. We overcome trials and temptations so that we will one day be recompensed with joy. If we are not experiencing joy, we are missing out on the purpose of life. I could have sulked on the fact that I was being rejected, but instead I find myself at peace for not being bitter about it.

So next time you curse your luck, and shake your fist at the sky, remember that you are here to have joy. Unpleasantness and heartache and disappointment are essential for our growth, for "there must be opposition in all things" (2 Ne. 2:11). Let us enjoy the journey, and see beauty even in the thorns of life. For all of this, there is a reward. I'm tremendously grateful for lessons learned today.