"Life is a storm... You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes." -Edmond Dantes, The Count of Monte Cristo
Life can feel like you are a tiny little ship out on the stormy sea. As you are tossed upon the waves, it seems as if you will never reach the shore again. Life is full of unexpected trials. Some trials are like waves that send your ship bobbing up and down. Other trials are like the waves that almost capsize your boat.
Lately, I've been feeling like my boat is about to capsize. Dark clouds seem to hang over my head. When moments or days or weeks are shrouded in dark clouds, it feels like no one knows how you feel; no one understands.
"My son [or daughter], peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands. Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job." (Doctrine & Covenants 121:7-10)
Here I was, feeling sorry for myself. I was letting myself wallow and linger in depression because life threw an unexpected curveball my way. I am not as Job. If you recall the story of Job, he was very wealthy and had a family and friends. He had a really good and blessed life. And in the space of only a few days, it was all gone. Not only did he lose his wealth and his family but he was covered in pus-filled sores from his head to his feet. His so-called friends blamed Job for his trials and afflictions. His wife told him to curse God. But through it all, Job never cursed God and never lost his faith. In the end, all he lost was returned to him double.
You know the saying, "It could be worse." It's true. There is always something worse that can happen, even when you feel like you are at the bottom of the pit of despair.
Not only did Job have it way worse and he still kept his faith, but the Savior knows my thoughts and feelings.
If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea; ...And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son [or daughter], that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? (Doctrine & Covenants 122: 5-8)
How can I possibly entertain the idea that no one knows how I feel? The Atonement of Jesus Christ paid the price for my sins and in the process, the Savior Jesus Christ endured for some amount of time the pains that I would go through in my life. He knows how I feel.
I've thought a lot about faith recently. I'm reminded of a story from the book of Matthew. The Apostles are on a ship in the middle of the sea and it is being tossed about on the waves. (Sound familiar?) They look out and see a figure walking towards them. At first they are frightened, thinking it is a spirit of some sort. But He calls out to them. It is Jesus Christ walking on water towards them. They are astounded by the miracle they see. Peter is eager to join his Lord and Master. At first, his faith keeps him above the water. But in a moment of doubt, he looks away and fear gets the better of him and he starts to sink.
How often does that happen to us? We have a bright burst of faith and we are in the midst of a miracle when fear and doubt cause us to start sinking, just as Peter did. Sometimes, we sink so far that we can barely keep our head above the water. The fear seems to almost consume us.
However, there is hope.
As Peter begins to sink, he calls out "Lord, save me." There is no hesitancy in the Savior's response. "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14: 24-31)
In our moment of doubt and fear, when we cry out for the Lord, he will reach forth to keep us from sinking. His whole purpose for coming to earth was to allow us a way to return to Him and our Heavenly Father. He does not want us to fail. He does not want us to doubt. He does not want our little ship in the sea to capsize.
There is hope. It is through our Savior, Jesus Christ that we can have the hope and that faith restored. We can make it through our troubling times and our afflictions. We are not on this mortal journey alone. Even when we are tossed upon the waves and the rocks, there is a guiding hand keeping us above the water.
"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren [and sisters, when we are in even the most troubling of times], let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." [D&C 123:17; emphasis added]
When we do all that we can, as we exercise our faith, we can have the strength to continue through our trials. The trials may not end at the first prayer or even the first one hundred prayers but the Lord does hear us. And he is with us.
"In closing, I testify that the Father and the Son do live. And I testify that They are close, perhaps even closest via the Holy Spirit, when we are experiencing difficult times. I testify that heaven's kindness will never depart from you, regardless of what happens. I testify that bad days come to an end, that faith always triumphs, and that heavenly promises are always kept. I testify that God is our Father, that Jesus is the Christ, that this is the true and living gospel- found in this, the true and living Church. I testify that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God, our prophet for this hour and this day. I love him and sustain him as I know you do. In the words of the Liberty Jail prison-temple experience, my young friends, "Hold on thy way... Fear not..., for God shall be with you forever and ever" (D&C 122:9)." (Lessons From Liberty Jail, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Sept 7, 2008.)
What more can be said? I'll simply end with this:
Smile Always,
Chuck
P.S. If you are looking for a really good talk to read by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, I've included the link here. Lessons From Liberty Jail
