I think the best part of life is experiencing hard things and then a little ways down the road, you look back on them. And it’s in those moments, you realize why Heavenly Father gave you that trial. Then when you really think about it, it makes sense why you needed to experience it. Maybe later, you’ll realize that you can help others because of it. Or maybe it was because in the future, having that knowledge of what it feels like to go through something like that can be used to encourage others. It could also help you have confidence that if you could do that, this is going to be breeze.
There have been so many times where I think that there is no way I would be able to do something. I can get really overwhelmed and I start to doubt myself. The best thing I have found most helpful in these situations is to take a step back and remind yourself that everything is going to be okay. Because there is nothing that Heavenly Father will give you that you can’t handle. We are never left alone to deal with our trials, we have our Savior who can succor us. Adversity can come from a number of things. You see, different kinds of adversity require different responses. For example, people who are stricken with illness may simply need to be patient and faithful. People who suffer because of others’ words or actions should work toward forgiving those who have offended them. If a person’s trials come because of disobedience, he or she should correct the behavior and humbly seek forgiveness. When you repent, the sin committed is no longer stopping you from becoming more like Christ. I think when we are experiencing something tough, we need to remember that it is part of Heavenly Father’s plan for us. We may not see it at the time, but when Heavenly Father gives us trials, it is because He loves us and wants us to grow stronger. Its also important to remember that He has a bigger plan for us than we have for ourselves. And while His plan isn’t always the same as ours, it is always better. When I was a freshman, I this picture of what I wanted my life to be like and looking back at what I thought I wanted, I was so off. Even now, I don’t really know exactly what I want to be. But I do know that if I trust in my Heavenly Father, He’ll help me know what I am supposed to do. If you are feeling uncertain as to whether you can endure your trials, just know that Heavenly Father will always prepare a way for you to accomplish whatever is put in your way. Remember that you are never alone. Try to recognize and be grateful for the people that Heavenly Father puts in your life to teach you things that you need to know.
0 Comments
Fear is something that everyone will experience in this life. Sometimes it will be trifling and easier to overcome, but other times it can be very weighty. For example, I am extremely afraid of bees. Now, I know I have no real reason to be afraid of them, the only reason why they would even try to hurt me would be because they feel they are in danger. Nevertheless, if I ever see a bee near me, I brace myself for it's sting. You see, there are things like this that are small and we aren't completely terrified by. But then there are also bigger things that hold greater magnitude. These can be things like choosing a major in college, choosing a career, where you want to live, and knowing when it's time to quit something and move on with your life. Decisions like these can be scary to make. There are other times when we fear something that is totally out of our control.
Once, when I was about five years old, my family and I went to my cousin's house. We always got excited when we went to their house; they lived in LA, so we got to drive through a bigger city and they had a big house with lots of fun things to do. My older sister, Sophie and I were playing on a teeter totter in the backyard. We were having a great time until Sophie decided that she had had enough of it, so she abruptly stood up and got off. My side of the teeter totter went down quickly and I went right along with it. I had fallen backwards and had hit my head on some bricks behind me. There was blood everywhere and I'm sure I was screaming. I remember being so scared and clutching onto my mom as we rushed off to the emergency room. My parents were probably praying the entire time. Despite my fear, I had only gotten a sizable gash on my head and I was completely fine after a couple staples. All through the scriptures, we are taught that if we trust the Lord in times of distress, he will guide and protect us and that everything will be okay in the end. David didn't need to know Goliath's strength because he already knew God's. (1 Samuel 17) Esther needed no appointment with the king because her appointment had been made by a Father in Heaven to soften the king's heart in that moment to spare the Jews. (Esther 5) Alma did not need to be afraid of the Lamanites because the Lord delivered them according to their regained faith. (Mosiah 23:27-28, 24:13-14) We are taught through these many stories in the scriptures to live by faith, not by fear. This does not mean that we will not have any trials in our lives and that everything will run smoothly, but that Heavenly Father will help guide and protect us in our trials. I am so blessed to have the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that if we turn to Heavenly Father, He will guide and protect us. I know that even when answers to prayers do not come immediately, He is still listening to our pleas. The Lord works in His own timetable, not ours. I know that at times life is frustrustrating and circumstances are sometimes disheartening. It may even seem that there is nowhere to turn. But I know there is always a way to turn that will bring us peace and security. If we trust in Heavenly Father, he will guide and protect us. This past weekend, I went on a pioneer trek with the youth of my church. There were around two hundred of us participating in this trek ranging from the ages 14-18. We were tasked with pulling handcarts up and down the trails of a mountain in the hopes that we would understand and be grateful for the sacrifice our early ancestors made for us. I was less than excited to go on this trek and was only planning on going because my mom wanted me to. But then something came up after school on Friday when we were supposed to leave and I ended up having to stay home. I thought I was completely fine with not going but when I got home later that night, I was getting ready for bed and saying my prayers. After I had said my prayers and got under the covers, I had a really strong feeling that I should still go. At first, I talked myself out of it; I told myself that they were already gone and no one was going up later and that I would get too tired on the trail and would end up having to go home anyway. But the feeling that I needed to be there only got stronger and stronger. When I told my mom that I wanted to go that night, she was glad that I did. She called a few of the leaders to see if anyone was going up the next morning, so that I could at least try to make it. Luckily, one of the young men in our ward had a sports game earlier in the day and was planning to go early in the morning the next day. The dad called my mom and said he had room in his car to take me as well. We left early in the morning and arrived just as breakfast was being served. Even though I had a prompting from the spirit that I needed to be there, I was still a little nervous that I wouldn’t be able to walk all of the trails. When I’d gotten to the camp, I was given a family for the day that I would be sharing a handcart and walking with. I was a little more relieved that I was put with a young women’s leader from my ward, her husband, another leader from a different ward that I didn’t know, and a couple kids that I knew. As I ate my breakfast, my nervousness only got worse and worse. My mind began to race: what if I got too tired and had to stop and not be able to keep going? What if I got bit by a snake? My brain was overpowered with all of these uncertainties. I went to go talk to one of the leaders that I’d known since I was little, that I’d trusted, about how I was nervous about being able to walk the whole way. He introduced me to the leader that was assigned to be the “Pa” of my family and told him that I was worried. The leader assured me that they would help me and that if needs be, there was a spot for me in the handcart. I was so relieved. We set off walking on the trail with our families. We pulled the handcarts, all the while thinking of our ancestors who had done this for months, sometimes in scorching heat and freezing snow. After a while, we had arrived at a small body of water and had a devotional about the inspiring ancestors of some of the people in our stake. We rested in the shade while listening to these talks, growing more and more grateful to our ancestors, who had left everything behind, walked hundreds of miles and endured so much that we, their descendants, could live with the gospel in our lives. After the devotional, I assumed that the leaders would have us go around the body of water that lay in front of us, but to my surprise, they told us that we were to walk through it with our handcarts! As my family was preparing our handcart to cross, I began to fear that I would have to walk through the river myself. The leaders told us that everyone had to get across somehow and some people carried each other. For an what seemed like an eternity, I sat there on the side of the water wondering how the heck I was going to get over to the other side. I was worried that I would be the last one on the side of the river. I closed my eyes and said a little prayer that I would be able to cross the river. Then, one of the kids from my ward and seminary class came over to me and asked if he could carry me over. My eyes got a little misty and once again, I was filled with relief. I was so grateful. After the crossing, while everyone was waiting for all of the carts to reach the other side safely, my legs began to get tired of standing. My knees started shaking a bit and I thought I was going to fall. I’d said a quick prayer that I would be okay. I had told one of my friends that I needed to rest a bit, but that there was nowhere to sit. Without hesitation, she helped me find someone who had a blanket to sit on and sat with me until it was time to move on. I was grateful to have a break and someone to sit with. When everyone was ready to keep trekking, I still felt exhausted. My feet were hurting and my legs were still shaking. I was lifted by the Ma and Pa of my family into our cart, grateful to have some rest. After that, each time I got tired, I would again be lifted into the cart. My fears of getting behind had vanished and I knew there was always someone there to lift me up. We arrived at our final trek destination and the boys and girls were separated. Everyone was allowed to pick a pioneer activity we could choose from calligraphy, frame knitting and making butter. I was still tired, so I sat with some of my friends and talked. Later, we had dinner and someone was there to help me carry my food and help me get something to drink. Over dinner, I was talking to some friends about anything and everything, I sat there thinking about how blessed I was to have friends that are ready and willing to help me with whatever my needs may be. After dinner, we went out to a field and had a hoedown. My legs were much too tired for dancing, so a couple friends and I sat on a blanket and talked. Even though these people didn't have to sit with me, they did. After a little while, my feet started cramping and it began to travel up my legs. I knew there was nothing I could really do about it but wait. My friend was kind enough to give me some socks her hand warmers to put on my feet. When my other friend came back with a leader, he gave me some pain medicine and I was once more reminded of how grateful I am for the people that my Father in Heaven has put into my life to help me.
This weekend was a long and tiresome one, but it was also one that I would not trade for the world. It helped me realize that our Father in Heaven puts certain people into our lives for a reason. He knows exactly what we need and who can help us in times of trial. I testify that God truly knows our fears and struggles and that when He gives us trials, he also prepares a way for us to overcome them. I've always been a bit weary when it comes to putting my trust in others. Up until a few days ago, I'd never really had to think twice before putting my trust in people close to me. As children, we trusted fully in our family and friends. But now that I've grown a bit, I have learned that trust can be a very dangerous thing. We leave our trust with someone and all to often, it comes back broken. This is why I absolutely hate having to ask for help, especially when help can only be found in someone I don’t trust.
Sometimes I wish I could go back to my childhood, when trust was not something I had to question. When my innocence told me that all would be well. I'm now realizing the securities of my childhood are no longer all that secure. Times when I knew Dad would have my back. When I depended on Mom to dry my tears. When my older sister was always around, but she is no longer be around all the time to comfort me. I miss being able to depend on them. I desperately wish I could go back. But there’s no sense in wishing. As of late, I have found that the people closest to you are also the ones most capable of hurting you the worst. It was a hard lesson to learn. I never really saw it coming either. When trust is broken, it crushes you. My trust was broken by a person who I was supposed to be able to always rely on. It felt as if it had happened all at once too. One day, I was riding in the car with him listening to oldies on the radio, the next, I had no idea where that person had gone. It really made me think about the people I was trusting and why. It made me question whether I really had faith in God. That was what scared me the most. All my life, I have been taught that God loves us and He wants the best for us. But when everything gets to be a bit too much, I tend to forget that He’s even there. Sometimes I need a reminder. Today, I got a reminder in the form of a feeling. After coming home from school, I knelt down and prayed until I felt this overwhelming peace. It was something I hadn’t felt in a very long time. I was so refreshed to know that God still cared and loves his children. Now this is the end of my post, where I’m supposed to tell you life is wonderful and not scary at all. Except sometimes it is scary and sometimes it seems to be anything but wonderful. But it is important that we remember that we are not alone, that God loves us. We must remind ourselves that Heavenly Father is always there for us. Unlike people, He will never leave us in the dark. He is always around to talk to. I cannot express how grateful I am that I can go to Him whenever I need, He is a constant in my life. When the waves of life toss me around, He is my constant. |
My name is Ellie. I am a sophomore at BYU Idaho. I am excited to live life and to share a small piece of it with you!
Archives
May 2019
Categories
All
Links |