{Come What May, And Love It}

Within the last two weeks we have had both of our cars in the shop.

It was totally frustrating and not exactly what I wanted/felt we needed to spend money on right now. {Thankfully we were blessed enough to even have the money to pay for it.} One night however, I was murmuring to Dean {I have since repented} about why the cars had to break down in the first place? Yes, we were provided the extra money to pay for it, but why did we have to have this trial/inconvenience to begin with? We have been doing our best and trying harder to live the gospel, pay our tithing, etc. I was stressed, tired, and frustrated. Couldn't the Lord just have seen it as a wash and made the cars function properly forever, instead of us dealing with this trial??? {See, I told you I was murmuring!}

I soon received my answer.

As I was preparing the lesson I had to give in Young Women last Sunday, I read this... "Challenges will always be part of our lives, even when we live the gospel. But the gospel does give direction to help us solve our problems, and the comfort and peace we receive from living close to the Lord can help us face these problems without panic or fear."

"Our challenges are of varying degrees of difficulty. Some of them are simple and relatively insignificant. But if they are not handled correctly, they can cause misunderstanding, frustration, and anger. There are also larger, more serious problems that can continue for a long time, causing daily worry."

{I am pretty sure I wasn't handling my "simple and relatively insignificant" challenge correctly.}

The lesson points out that love, prayer, service, obedience, study, and work are things we can do to feel closer to the Lord each day. These same principles can be used to help meet whatever challenges we may face. Without challenges we would most likely not appreciate the blessings we have now and fail to recognize the Lord's hand in all things. {I have since learned the error of my ways.}

I was then reminded of a talk given by Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Come What May, and Love It." He spoke of how his mother used to tell him, in regards to trials and sorrow, " Come what may, and love it." He said: "How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life. If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness."

Elder Wirthlin also offered 4 ways of coping with trials and challenges
1. Learn to Laugh: "The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable."
2. Seek for the Eternal: "Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others."
3. Understand the Principle of Compensation: "The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude."
4. Trust in the Father and the Son: "“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” ² The Lord Jesus Christ is our partner, helper, and advocate. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be successful. If we do our part, He will step in. 'The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him.' "


So does that mean I am happy or excited about what trials and challenges lie ahead? Absolutely not, but I have a better understanding of why we have, even "simple and relatively insignificant" challenges and a better way to deal, solve and learn from them! As well as a goal, and perhaps my New Years Resolution to "come what may, and love it!"

Lesson: Young Women Manual 3, Lesson 3: Living the Gospel Daily
Talk: Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Come What May, and Love It", Ensign, Nov. 2008, 26–28