Years
ago I found a short message with long-term benefits. Since there have
been plenty of times in my life when it felt like things weren’t
going really well, I’ve found help in the message. Here
it is:
PUSH
When
everything seems to go wrong, just push.
When
the job gets you down, just push.
When
people don’t react the way you think they should, just push.
When
your money looks funny and the bills are due, just push.
When
you want to tell them off for whatever the reason, just push.
When
you ask the question: “When is my ship coming in?” just
push.
When
people just don’t seem to understand you, just push.
Let
me tell you what PUSH stands for: Pray Until Something Happens
I’ve
utilized some of the thoughts in this PUSH message, and added a
number of sentences over the years. You’ll probably have your
own to include. It sounded corny to me, at first. In actuality,
though, my human nature leans toward impatience. I used to blame it
on my Italian heritage, but the bottom line is: Who cares where it
came from? I need to get rid of it, right?
So,
I’ve pushed my way through some silly and embarrassing
situations, past some bothersome circumstances during which I’ve
felt overwrought and underappreciated, and through some truly
difficult, trying times.
Often,
I’ve found that the “something that happens” is
that I change. Not the circumstances. Me. That’s been an
important revelation. Maybe you’ll find the same happens for
you, every once in a while.
1
Thessalonians 5:17 teaches us to pray without ceasing. James 1:6
reminds me to pray with faith. We are reminded to pray with our
eyes on God, and not on the difficulties.
Peter
is a wonderful example to us. When we wanted to join the Savior, his
faith allowed him to walk on the water with Jesus. When we noticed
the tempestuous waves around him (taking his eyes off the Savior), he
began to sink. He knew whom to reach out for. And for his faith
— and remembrance of looking to the Lord — he was granted
the blessing of having that holy hand extended to him in the midst of
the water. And was saved.
I
guess the lesson for us is the same: We are saved by grace and by our
faith in the Savior. Through His gift of the Atonement, we —
keeping our eyes on Him — can get through anything. We just
have to PUSH.
Vickey Pahnke Taylor is a wife, mom, grandmother, teacher, author, and songwriter. Her
undergraduate study at BYU was musical theater. She has a Masters degree in interpersonal
communications.
A Billboard award-winning songwriter with hundreds of songs to her credit, she uses music as a
teaching tool. But her favorite way to use music has been to sing to her children. You should
hear the family's rousing versions of "Happy Birthday"!
In addition to three solo albums in the LDS market, she co-wrote "Women at the Well" with
Kenneth Cope and "My Beloved Christ: with Randy Kartchner. She is co-writer of the theme
song for Utah's Make-A-Wish foundation, the song for the Special Olympics program, and
EFY's theme song.
She writes for several online magazines and columns, and has authored several books. Her
website, www.goodnessmatters.com, is her way of continuing to grow goodness in the world,
pointing people gently toward Christ and eternal principles of truth.
She has spoken for the Church's various Youth and Family programs for 25 years. She and her
husband Dean have eight children and four grandchildren. She adores being a wife, mom and
grandmother. She loves flowers, brownies, cooking Italian and Southern foods, the ocean, and
laughing every chance she gets.
Vickey was baptized a member of the Church as a teenager in Virginia. She serves as gospel
doctrine teacher in her ward, and Dean serves on their stake high council.
