Trust in the Lord

I wish I had sat down to write these thoughts yesterday because today I have already forgotten some of the things that were on my mind.  Yesterday at church I had a few thoughts in my head as I listened to the testimonies and the lessons.The Holy Ghost does bring things to our remembrance. John 14: 26 it says: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Yesterday, because General Conference is next week we had fast and testimony meeting. Brother Palfreyman, 2nd counselor in the Bishopric of our Lake Reams Ward, was conducting, and bore his testimony. He spoke of serving others and referenced a story from one of the talks in the General Women's conference on Saturday. The story was about a sister who was very sick with cancer but served others. She said that when she focused on herself her world became dark and depressing but when she focused on others there was light, hope, strength and joy. I immediately had the simple thought, about many years ago when I was so discouraged and depressed from being a widowed single mother to my baby daughter. How I was so discouraged and had no hope for the future, how I didn't know what I was going to do. I was scared and angry. All I did was focus on myself. For almost a year I was like this. I did go out and tried to have fun and gradually started to feel a little better but I was still focused on myself. I felt like alone most of the time. Going to church was difficult, I felt I was different from all the other families who had a father and a mother. It was then I met some girls from Puerto Rico and we became instant friends. They did not have a ride to school (we were at UVCC in Orem) and since I had a car I offered to pick them up every morning after taking my daughter to daycare. I had to adjust my time to have enough time to pick them up. This simple act of service brought me joy. It was all I could offer at the time, it wasn't much but focusing on someone else other than me helped me. I had something to look forward to in the morning. Having their friendship was also healing for me. When I told them I was a widowed, I found myself telling them to not feel sorry for me and so, I had stopped feeling sorry for myself.  In a recent episode of the Mormon Channel, Gospel Solutions for families, they spoke about families who might be considered "less that ideal" just like mine was. How I wish I had heard this back then. They spoke about Peter's desire to walk on water just like the Savior. When Peter was focused on the Savior he had faith to get out of the boat and with all the wind and waves and turmoil around him he walked on water. When he lost his focus and got distracted he began to sink. When Peter exercised his faith and used his agency to ask for help and reached out his hand the Lord in turn reached out His hand and caught Peter. All of us sink every day. We have to learn to put our faith and trust in the Lord. I learned from my experience that I am never alone. The Lord does love me and understands me and that I need to have faith in him and when I am sinking, to reach out my hand to Him and He will reach out His hand to catch me. I have learned that when we focused not on ourselves but on others we get to know and love the Savior. 

Orson F. Whitney who was a member of the Quorum of the twelve apostles said: No Pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, the the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God.. and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven"

Sister Carol Stevens said: Focus on the Savior. Trust God's plan. Trust our divine identity. Trust the Savior. Trust His Atonement. The Father has provided everything we need to be successful in this mortality that He knew would be so difficult. But we have to learn to trust in that.