Let's Talk about Sacrifice

You've probably heard it before: Relationships are all about sacrifice. What exactly does that mean? And does it really ring true? 

Sister Carol B. Thomas, a counselor in the Young Women Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints said, "Sacrifice...can develop a profound love for each other and our Savior." I love this quote. I have seen the truth of it in my relationships. For those people that I have sacrificed the most for, I feel the closest bond. I think that is because when you have to give something up for someone, you become more invested in them. 

Sacrifice is not easy and requires a lot of faith. I have recently had an experience that illustrates this principle. I am from Idaho and my fiance' is from Alabama. We met on our mission to England and dated long-distance for a few months. Our relationship got to the point where it couldn't progress much farther over the distance.  Together we decided that I should move to Alabama so that we could date in person. He had a job, and I had the convenience of doing online school so it would be easier for me to move than him. It took me a lot of praying and faith to come to the decision to move. I would basically be uprooting my life and moving to another part of the country with a bunch of people that I didn't know. I was terrified, yet I knew that it was a sacrifice that would pay off in the long-run. It was a rough transition at the start, but over time I was so glad I had made the sacrifice to move. In the end, it didn't feel like a sacrifice at all. 

That is true about most, if not all sacrifices that we make in life. Although they seem like a lot at the time, they end up coming back around to us and benefiting us. I believe that when we sacrifice for others, we are blessed to see them through more humble eyes and we love them even more for it.

Carol B. Thomas, Sacrifice: An Eternal Investment April 2001 General Conference