God is our Father who loves us

Today the Institute class was about our Father in Haven and ways we need to understand him and how much he loves each one of us,  his spirit children. We sang I am a child of God as a hymn.  It would be interesting to find out how many people really believe that they are of royal lineage and how that would change their view on themselves like "The Touch of the Master's Hand" poem by  Myra Brooks Welch

The Touch of the Master’s Hand

 ’Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer

Thought it scarcely worth his while

To waste much time on the old violin,

But held it up with a smile:

“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,

“Who’ll start the bidding for me?”

“A dollar, a dollar”; then, “Two!” “Only two?

Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?

Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;

Going for three—” But no,

From the room, far back, a gray-haired man

Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,

And tightening the loose strings,

He played a melody pure and sweet

As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,

With a voice that was quiet and low,

Said, “What am I bid for the old violin?”

And he held it up with the bow.

“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?

Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?

Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,

And going, and gone!” said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,

“We do not quite understand

What changed its worth.” Swift came the reply:

“The touch of a master’s hand.”

And many a man with life out of tune,

And battered and scarred with sin,

Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,

Much like the old violin.

A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine,

A game—and he travels on.

He’s “going” once, and “going” twice,

He’s “going” and almost “gone.”

But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd

Never can quite understand

The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought

By the touch of the Master’s hand.   

 I love this poem because it perfectly illustrates how valuable each of us truly is in God’s eyes.

Self-esteem is a topic we read self-help books about and go to workshops to try and improve.  Everyone struggles to some extent with questions of their own self-worth.  It is a constant struggle for many people.  I believe that the key to self-esteem is to stop worrying what other people think about you and start focusing your attention on what you think God thinks of you.  God sees the best in us.  He knows what we are capable of.  He knows our weaknesses and he knows our strengths.  He never unfairly judges us.  And He always wants to help us be our very best self. So we can trust Him completely.  We can’t trust other people to the same extent we can trust God because God doesn’t misjudge or make mistakes in His opinion of us.  That is why His opinion should be the only opinion that we let count.  Once you can focus on that it becomes much easier to start to take control of your own self-esteem.  Just act in a way that you feel you would make Him proud of you and your self-esteem will go up.  Significantly.  Then trust Him to take the value that exists within you and with your help, he will make you amazing.  You just have to show up and do your best….He will do the rest. In the class today we studies Our Father in Haven as a loving father who is all knowing, all powerful and perfect. He knows the today, yesterday and tomorrow, he is all knowing and his love for us is incomprehensible.