Seeing God’s Family through the Overview Lens
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Before Reading
Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:
- What is the "overview lens" that Sister Runia talks about?
- How can we use the eye of faith to view our families and ourselves?
- What role does love, empathy, and patience play in our relationships with our loved ones?
- How does the Savior's love transform our challenges and relationships?
- What can we learn from Sister Runia's personal experiences shared in the talk?
Topics
Seeing through the Overview Lens
Sister Runia uses the metaphor of an "overview lens" to encourage us to see our families and ourselves from an eternal perspective. She suggests that we can, through the eye of faith, zoom out and view ourselves and our families with hope and joy, seeing the bigger picture rather than focusing on the immediate challenges.
Tonight, I invite you to zoom out and look through a different lens—an eternal lens that focuses on the big picture, your bigger story.
Is it possible to begin to see as God sees even while living on the surface of this planet—to feel this overview feeling? I believe we can, through the eye of faith, zoom out and view ourselves and our families with hope and joy.
- What does it mean to see through the "overview lens"?
- How can we develop the eye of faith to see ourselves and our families from an eternal perspective?
- How can you apply the concept of the "overview lens" in your interactions with your family?
- Can you recall a situation where seeing through the "overview lens" could have changed your perspective or response?
Hope and the Eye of Faith
Sister Runia emphasizes the role of hope in our lives, particularly when we face challenges or difficult situations. She shares her own experience of how her father's hopeful approach during her rough patch in high school changed her. She encourages us to choose hope and have faith that everything will work out.
And those who look with an eye of faith can feel that it’s going to be OK now.
He used the eye of faith to see that everything would work out, and his hopeful approach changed me.
- How can hope and faith help us during challenging times?
- What does it mean to look with an eye of faith?
- How can you cultivate hope and faith in your life?
- Can you share an experience where hope and faith helped you overcome a challenge?
Love and Empathy in Relationships
Sister Runia emphasizes the importance of love, empathy, and patience in our relationships. She shares experiences of how choosing to focus on the positive aspects of her children's actions and being empathetic towards their feelings improved her relationships with them. She encourages us to ask ourselves whether our words and actions are helpful or hurtful to our loved ones.
Sometimes what we need is empathy more than advice; listening more than a lecture; someone who hears and wonders, “How would I have to feel to say what they just said?”
Before we interact with a loved one, can we ask ourselves the question “Is what I’m about to do or say helpful or hurtful?”
- What is the role of love, empathy, and patience in our relationships?
- How can we be more empathetic and loving in our interactions with our loved ones?
- How can you practice more love, empathy, and patience in your relationships?
- Can you share an experience where showing love and empathy improved a relationship?
The Transformative Power of Christ's Love
Sister Runia speaks of the transformative power of Christ's love in our lives. She testifies that the Savior's Atonement can turn our nightmares into blessings and that all things will work together for our good as we strive to love and follow Him. She encourages us to perfect our love for others, reflecting the pure love of Jesus Christ in our words and actions.
It is my witness that the Savior has the ability, because of His Atonement, to turn any nightmare you are going through into a blessing.
While our families aren’t perfect, we can perfect our love for others until it becomes a constant, unchanging, no-matter-what kind of love—the type of love that supports change and allows for growth and return.
- How can the Savior's love transform our challenges and relationships?
- What does it mean to perfect our love for others?
- How can you strive to reflect the Savior's love in your interactions with others?
- Can you share an experience where the Savior's love transformed a challenge in your life?
Patience in the Journey
Sister Runia encourages us to be patient with ourselves and with others, reminding us that God is patient with us. She shares that our direction matters more than our speed and that we should focus on going far together rather than going fast alone. She reminds us that we are not alone in our challenges and that God has not abandoned us.
Remember, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Or maybe your greater fear is that you’re going to go through this difficult time all by yourself, but that would mean God has abandoned you, and is that true?
- Why is patience important in our journey?
- What does it mean that our direction matters more than our speed?
- How can you practice more patience in your life?
- Can you share an experience where patience helped you navigate a difficult situation?
