Ponderous Simplicity

If you are in a bright room, whether bright by sunlight or a light bulb, if you turn on another light it isn't that noticeable.
But if you are in a darkness and light is introduced - it's REALLY noticeable. Today I was thinking alot about how when I'm struggling - when trials seem to come from every direction and they feel very heavy, that is when I see the most tender mercies in my life.The light is really bright in the darkness! I am constantly amazed by the Lord's timing (except in regards to marriage - that's still a tough one for me :P) and how some how, some way, the things you need in your life and the people you need, happen to be there when you need them. Things somehow come together to give you the support that you need if you look for it. It doesn't lessen the difficulty of the trials or take away the often painful emotions but it helps especially when I make a point to notice them, be grateful for them and acknowledge the help and strength they give me.

At some points in my life, I felt like Heavenly Father tossed me out into the middle of a very turbulent ocean. And I didn't want to be in the ocean, especially a turbulent one. And there would always be a life vest available or one of those floaty doughnut things but because I was angry I was even IN the ocean, I would scowl, cross my arms and refuse to grab hold of the life preserver.

Other times I would splash frantically and try and figure out how all by myself I was going to get out of this ocean because I didn't want to be there and if I was there I must need to figure a way out myself. And I would get nowhere trying to swim in choppy water, not even noticing there were life preservers floating nearby to help me.

But life - especially trials - have a way of teaching you, if you will let them. I've recently been reading in Ether in the Book of Mormon. So I've been reading about the Jaredites as they prepared ships to cross the ocean. The Lord let the Brother of Jared know that as they crossed they were going to buried in the water. This was because the Lord was causing the wind to blow towards the promised land. This would result in there being storms, waves, etc. But the wind was necessary - even if it caused the things that would make the crossing more difficult, without they wind they would never make it to the promised land. So the Lord gave them things to help them make it through the rough times.
Ship designs that wouldn't leak. A hole on the top and bottom of the ship so they could have air. And light - He touched the stones the Brother of Jared brought so they could have light during the passage ESPECIALLY when they were buried in the water.

So it is with us - the wind (trials) are a necessary part of us making it to the promised land. In fact, they are a key ingredient that we can't do without. Now, just like a ship, if we don't use the things correctly the wind could push us FURTHER from the promised land, when we follow the "user manual" and make sure to utilize things correctly, it will slowly, but surely move us closer and closer to the promised land.

Now, I still sometimes yell at being in the middle of a choppy ocean. And I still feel angry and frustrated that it is hard, and sometimes ask why it has to be that way. But I try really hard now to notice and use the life preservers that always seem to pop up when I most need them. The Lord doesn't drive us into the middle of the ocean, toss us overboard and speed away wishing us, "Good luck!" He knows when things are hard. He doesn't want to see us suffer needlessly, but He is an all knowing god that understands the role suffering and struggling plays in our personal growth. So He allows it to happen, giving us all the things we need to make it through our swim. So when you feel like you're in the middle of the ocean, struggling to stay afloat, perhaps feeling angry that you're there - take a minute to look around at the life preservers that I know will be floating nearby.