Let Go and Hold On

"Hold To The Rod, The Iron Rod"
By James Christensen

I decided to begin this blog with one of my favorite things, ART, by my favorite artist, James Christensen. His story behind the art is a beautiful explanation of the poor little traveler above, but I will describe it in a nutshell (just in case you have not already found everything in common with this character and you've decided he's your new best friend. Just look at him!). Christensen wrote that this man finds himself so burdened by the things he's collected that he cannot reach up to the rod "for fear of losing something else." He said, "These may be material possessions, titles or responsibilities, but in the end they amount to the same thing: a fleeting and superficial sense of security. It is only by holding fast to our beliefs that we can navigate life with any confidence."

Well, the "iron rod" has been on my mind since studying Lehi's vision in my religion class last week, and the more I learn about it, the more I feel its relevance in my life, and the more I just want to walk into this painting and give that little poofy man a big hug! I want to tell him how silly he is for holding on to so many useless things and hoping that maybe someday he'll be able to reach the far too elevated rod. The purses, and keys, and papers are holding you back! Just let go and have faith that the rod will take you safely to where you need to go.

After a therapeutic talk with my poofy man, I hope you are noticing what I've noticed...I'll tell you in order to re-establish my credibility. I wasn't talking to the man in the painting at all, I was talking to myself. And when you talk to my poofy man, you'll be talking to yourself. It doesn't take long after pointing at others, you start to look inward. I don't think it's difficult to identify our own flaws, or even to know if we could be doing something better while we're wasting time with "material possessions, titles or responsibilities." Sometimes, I think of myself as two separate people: the thinker and the doer. We fight a lot, but we still work together. The thinker is the pure me who, though still inexperienced and naïve, knows right from wrong, and knows who I should be. The doer is a little more susceptible to carnality (Facebook, Pinterest, you know the type). But the thinker tries to keep the doer in line, and as painful as it is to the thinker, the doer is a reflection on her. The doer has been referred to by a different name, the natural man, and keeping it in line is a lofty challenge for everyone. But that's why we have the "iron rod." Although I'm still learning, I'm starting to truly realize the meaning of "holding fast to our beliefs," because that is our only source of true confidence.