(This picture has nothing to do with anything. I just like it. It's my cat-Triss.)
All Things Work Together for Good by Elder James B. Martino.
Reminded me of the talk 'Come What May and Love It' by Elder Wirthlin
"We may never know in this life why we face what we do, but we can feel confident that we can grow from the experience." Each of us has and will have experiences in our lives that will shape us into the person we are going to become. Positive or negative, if we remember that these experiences are to help us grow, our growth becomes accelerated and enhanced.
Elder Martino shared this story:
When I was young I looked forward to the spring of the year. As the weather warmed, i was ready for baseball to begin. Like most young boys, I would wish that I could become a great baseball player. I am reminded of a story about a very young boy with similar dreams. With the desire to become the next mighty ballplayer, he decided to go outside and practice. He held the baseball in one hand and the bat in the other, and he threw the ball into the air. With a wish to hit the ball as far as he could, he took a great swing, but the ball fell to the ground without even touching the wood of the bat. Not to be denied, he went at it again. As he was about to throw the ball in the air, he determination grew as the thought of a powerful hit came into his mind. But alas, the results were the same. The ball lay on the ground. But as any good ballplayer knows, you have three strikes before you are out. He concentrated even more, threw the ball int he air, and gave the mightiest swing he had ever attempted. As the ball again fell to the ground, the tears began to swell in his eyes. Then all of a sudden a great smile appeared, and he said, "What a pitcher!"
Most of the time when we think of all things working together for our good, it is because we have been talking about the trials we have in our lives. "Even though times are hard, it will be ok and everything will work out right." But we don't usually talk about the good things that happen in our lives and how they accumulate and build and work together for our good. In the story about the boy playing baseball, it most certainly was not a negative experience. It wasn't a trial. It was an event that happened in his life that he chose to face with a positive attitude. (Which is probably a great predictor of his future.)
We can change our attitudes as he did during both positive and negative experiences. Or in experiences that are really neither, and allow them to become positive experiences. I'm a huge believer that everyone can be happy while on this earth. Yes, things are tough and sometimes unpleasant, but we have not been sent here to suffer. We have been sent here to learn, sometimes through tough times, but (hopefully) more frequently through positive times.
I have always found it interesting when at the end of the day, when asked to recall how the day was, I sometimes focus on the negative and say it was just ok or ever rough. Even if there was only one thing that 'went wrong', that situation always jumps out at me and becomes a huge thing that ruined my day, even if it really didn't. Difficult experiences can help us learn and grow. They can help us draw closer to God and utilize the tools he has given us efficiently and effectively because we realize the impact his precepts have in our lives.
But God doesn't want us to have to suffer to draw closer to Him. Our God is a loving God, and I believe that he would rather have us become closer to Him during our happy times. Unfortunately, as we've seen repeatedly in the scriptures, as soon as a people began to prosper, they became prideful and forgot the Lord their God. A great cure to this is gratitude - thanking the Lord daily for all of the little miracles and blessings that we receive in our lives. Someone once said, "Expect a Miracle Every Day." I took this to heart, and take time every day to look for the miracles that God has given me. Sometimes my miracle is a running car to get me to campus in the rain and snow. Sometimes it is having a pillow to lay on at night. Sometimes it is a person that reaches out and touches my life in inexplicable ways. I've noticed that the earlier in the day that I find my miracles, I always find more of them. This then creates in me a strong feeling of gratitude for all of those miracles and blessings, and draws me closer to God. I challenge each of you to look for the miracles that God sends you daily. It can be as little of a miracle as waking up on time for work, or something as huge as receiving a much needed hug from a friend. But I promise that as you look for and especially notice those miracles that God will send you more and you will be brought closer to him.
For example: Going to Vernal for Taylor's mission call. SO much stress. Driving six hours, snow and wet on the road, getting home super late, waking up late for class, not eating all day, etc etc etc. It seems as though this would have caused me nothing but grief. But then I remembered how spiritual it was - being there for him to open his call. I remembered that spirit and was able to be grateful for everything God had given me. I got home late - but I was safe. I woke up late - but made it to class on time. I didn't eat - but had enough energy. I looked like crap - but danced really well. I wanted to cry - and got an amazing and much-needed hug. Wow. So much to be grateful for. So many miracles. And all of them working together for my good- to lead me closer to God.
In Elder Martino's talk, he mentions five things we can learn from the last hours of the Savior's life on earth that can help us to face our own trials. 1 - He sought to do the will of the Father and remained committed to His sacred mission. 2 - He did not complain or murmur. 3 - He sought greater help from God. Even the Savior found a need to pray more earnestly in the Garden of Gethsemane. 4 - Learn to serve and think of others. What greater act of service is there than the Atonement? 5 - Forgive others and do not seek to pass the blame of our situation to them.
I love action words. Remember 'Faith without works is dead'. So you need action for your faith to be fruitful. The action words are: KEEP an eternal perspective, DO NOT complain, BECOME more prayerful, SERVE and FORGIVE others.
I know that most of us are going through trials right this second. I don't pretend to know what it is you are feeling, but I know that the Savior knows. He doesn't want you to suffer - he suffered for you already. He wants you to learn and grow from your experiences and stay close to Him. On the other hand, some may be thinking, "How does this relate to me? I'm not going through any trials right now. Life is great." Elder Martino encourages those of us to use these steps to prepare from future trials so that when we are faced with those trials, we are already prepared to turn to the Lord and ask what we need to do to best learn from Him.
All of our experiences, good and bad, are to lead us back to our Father in Heaven. he wants us to be happy and to become more like Him so that we can receive exaltation, which is the greatest happiness of all. Remember the good times during the bad ones. Look for the daily miracles that each of us are given. Become more prayerful and serve and forgive others - even though that is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Serving others will bring joy to your life. The Savior has promised that.
Remember that the good times are for your growth and experience just as much as anything. Don't let the good times pass you by just because you feel like you finally got a break. Learn all you can during the good times to prepare you for the hard ones.
I know Christ lives and that He loves me. And I am grateful for the good times that are working together for my own personal good and growth.
