Sugar Beets and Love

President Monson told a recap of Bishop Ashton's story..."Many years ago, Bishop Marvin O. Ashton (1883–1946), who served as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, gave an illustration I’d like to share with you. Picture with me, if you will, a farmer driving a large open-bed truck filled with sugar beets en route to the sugar refinery. As the farmer drives along a bumpy dirt road, some of the sugar beets bounce from the truck and are strewn along the roadside. When he realizes he has lost some of the beets, he instructs his helpers, “There’s just as much sugar in those which have slipped off. Let’s go back and get them!

Or a quote by Brene Brown...“You’re imperfect, and you’re wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging." And at the promise of me being more vulnerable so that I might connect more, have more compassion, etc, let me admit right out, I am feeling insecure, and unloved by my friend and her family. I am wanting that connection and yet not able to find it. I feel, they dumped me when they saw I have flaws that they viewed were hurtful to my friend. Oh I wanted to believe I was family. Oh I wanted to believe their words of unconditional love. 


There's a story told by Uchtdorf which I will quote here...

The Worth of a Soul

“We cannot gauge the worth of another soul any more than we can measure the span of the universe. Every person we meet is a VIP to our Heavenly Father. Once we understand that, we can begin to understand how we should treat our fellowmen.

“One woman who had been through years of trial and sorrow said through her tears, ‘I have come to realize that I am like an old 20-dollar bill—crumpled, torn, dirty, abused, and scarred. But I am still a 20-dollar bill. I am worth something. Even though I may not look like much, and even though I have been battered and used, I am still worth the full 20 dollars.’”

I felt as though my worth had diminished because I wasn't good enough for these people to want to help. I didn't mean anything to them after 3 years of being immersed in their family. I was too hard for them. I realized this was not true, I too am worth 20 dollars, despite being ripped and torn and shredded.  I am a sugar beet that has just as much sugar even though I've been bumped around, dropped, kicked to the side of the road. I may be alone but I guess I'd rather be alone than with people who didn't want to know me and value me. And knowing my true worth in the sight of my eyes, makes it so I know I am not alone, my Heavenly Father loves me.