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Lighting
the Fire Within
by
Kelly L. Martinez
And
it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the
Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and
shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto
it. —Isaiah 2:3
How wonderful
these Winter Games have been! Exciting races. Thrilling acrobatics.
Athletic excellence. Even if sports aren't your thing, there's something
special about the Olympics.
From the Opening
Ceremony's beauty to the camaraderie of the Olympic Village...this
has truly been a wonderful thing for the people of Utah and the
people of the world.
I was so impressed
with the comments made by Mitt Romney, Salt Lake Organizing
Committee president, and Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee
president, at the Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 8. Their messages were
inspiring. I half expected Brother Romney to close his remarks as
he would in a sacrament meeting.
These Winter
Games have been a wonderful window for the world to see the beauty
of Utah and the Salt Lake area. Visitors to the Salt Lake area have
been treated well by the locals, who have been very helpful by all
reports. Kindness has abounded in these Games. In a world where
there is an abundant supply of cruelty and hatred, the 2002 Winter
Games have been a breath of fresh air.
Did it warm
your heart, like it did mine, to see the majesty of the Salt Lake
temple every night on network television?
This...this
is how well we, God's children, can behave. There was so much that
could have gone wrong these past two weeks. Terrorism. Intolerance
for race or religion. Instead, what we saw were competitors—who
have been trained their entire lives to win, win, win—greet
defeat with a handshake and victory with a pat on the back for a
valiant effort. These Games weren't without their controversy or
bad sportsmanship, but in an imperfect world, we cannot expect perfection.
As members of the Church, we know this.
Figure skating
is a good example of something that went wrong during the Winter
Games. But did you notice how gracefully the Canadian pair skaters
handled themselves in the face of injustice? It was a lesson in
humility on display for the world to see.
This is how
the Lord works. He doesn't stop the ugliness and wickedness from
happening. He gives His children an opportunity to choose how to
react to difficult situations. We've seen it many times before...goodness
as a result of badness.
I love the 2002
Winter Games' motto. Light the Fire Within. Simply put. Powerfully
symbolic.
Fire
Fire has been used to describe many things. Fire motivates the
world class athlete to excel. Fire pushes that athlete on to victory.
Fire describes an athlete who performs exceptionally well (e.g.,
'she's on fire'). Fire represents adverse situations. Fire
represents pressure—literal and figurative.
The Spirit of
God, like a fire, burns within.
The fire
within. I have felt that fire. A burning. A tool in the Lord's hands
that motivates, humbles, testifies, comforts and enlightens. There
are times when that fire may grow dim. It may even seem to be extinguished
completely by choices made or situations that arise. No matter how
dim or extinguished that fire may seem, there is always a way to
ignite it again...to light the fire within.
Within
The dictionary defines the word within as "inside; not
beyond the limits of."
"Inside"
each of us lies the power to do many things. The power to change.
The power to improve. The power to resolve. The power to excel.
The power to forgive. The power to love. The power to believe. The
power to serve. It is not "beyond the limits of" any of God's
children to tap into these wonderful powers bestowed on us.
Some would have
us believe that to be able to exercise these God-given powers, we
need to turn to outside sources. Diet centers. Get-rich-quick plans.
Medication. How-to manuals. These things can help us tune
into these powers, but not one of them can do it for us.
At General Conference,
we hear many wonderfully uplifting and edifying talks given by servants
of the Lord. Their words are enlightening, humbling and motivational.
The Spirit can be felt strongly as we receive witness that what
is being said is true. We may feel motivated to improve as a result
of the messages we hear there, but ultimately, it all comes back
to us. We have the ability within to use the powers mentioned
above. Is our ability alone enough? At times perhaps, but often
it is not.
The Light
I
am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in
darkness, but shall have the light of life. —John 8:12
The Light of
Christ is real. As we look to Him, emulate Him, worship Him, do
as He would do, become like Him, follow Him, we draw upon that light.
His love is freely given to all. His light, which comes along with
His love, is given likewise.
If the fire
has grown dim or has been extinguished, He can and will provide
the light to set our fire ablaze once again.
That light,
the Light of Christ, will provide us with the spark we need to utilize
the wonderful powers that lie within each of us. We draw upon that
light through keeping covenants, observing the Sabbath, tending
to our stewardships, serving others, studying the scriptures, living
the Gospel, repenting, praying and inviting others to come unto
Christ.
Light within
fire
Motivation is a wonderful thing. The desire to shine, whether
it is athletically or otherwise, is good. Our full potential cannot
be realized unless we tap into the Light that ignites all fires
within. Within every fire—be it athletic, academic, self-improvement
or anything else—is the Light.
So give thought
to the wonderfully inspired motto of the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Games.
Light the Fire Within. Juggle the words around. Consider
how these simple words can give such deep insight and understanding
to the marvelous capabilities we have as children of a living and
loving Heavenly Father.
If
you are aware of an LDS athlete that deserves recognition in Meridian
Sports, please e-mail the sports writer at sports@meridianmagazine.com
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© 2001 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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