Endure Well

            When I endure my trials well, I believe that the Lord is more able to bless me because I am keeping His commandment to be of good cheer.  This is because of the law in heaven that states that when I keep a commandment, the Lord is bound to bless me.

            I saw this in my life this past Friday while I was working at the testing center. One of the rules that we follow there is students cannot take tests if they are wearing leggings because that is against the honor code. On that Friday, we turned away a lot of girls because they were not complying with the honor code. I personally had to tell a lot of girls that they could not take their test until they had changed. I felt so horrible when I saw the look on their faces. After I had done this many times, it was my turn to proctor the students who were taking their tests. As I walked around the big testing room, I felt like crying because I felt really sorry for what I had been doing, even when I knew it was my job. I also began to feel overwhelmed because of all the homework and responsibilities I had. While I thought on these things, the Spirit whispered to me that I needed to count my blessings because gratitude can bring you happiness. Soon after I began to count my blessings, this student, who was turning in his test, said to me in passing, “Thank you for all you do. You really make a difference, Ashley.”

            This touched my heart so much. In that moment, I knew that the Lord was aware of me and my situation. Because I had made the decision to be happy and grateful in the midst of some small trials, the Lord helped me remember that He is mindful of me and He blessed me with an assurance that I was ok. I am so grateful for that experience and I know that when I endure my trials well, I will be more receptive to the Spirit and I will remember that the Lord is perfectly aware of me. 

LOOK UP

I was just thinking how we have a natural tendency to base our worth on what other people think of us. If someone pays us a compliment, we are beautiful and talented! But... if someone puts us down or criticizes us, our worth drops significantly. Why is this? I think that whenever we call our looks or personality ugly or call someone else ugly, Heavenly Father feels very sad. He is perfect!!! So why do we view His work and His glory as ugly and worthless? We should never condemn the works of God. Instead of comparing ourselves horizontally to those around us, let us LOOK UP and see our worth from a higher perspective! 

Certain

This week I've been thinking about God's plan for me. There is so much uncertainty and it takes a lot of faith to trust God's plan. I have found it especially difficult to not confuse my path with my destination. I was really troubled yesterday and so I went to the temple that evening. While I was waiting, I read a scripture in D&C 58:3-

"Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter." 

That was an answer to my prayer!!! I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me and that I need to trust that His plan is better than mine. That is what trusting Jesus is all about! And I am so grateful that He is the one certain thing in my life. I know that I can always depend on Him, rely on Him, and trust Him. I know that we are not forgotten and that great things are in store for us! Another answer to a prayer I had came from a quote by Horace Bushnell:  

"Trust God for great things; with your five loaves and two fishes, He will show you a way to feed thousands."

I know that He will make great instruments out of us!  

Life is beautiful

The stronger my relationship with my Heavenly Father and Savior becomes, the more I come to understand how beautiful life is. It is often too easy to focus on the challenging, mundane, and negative aspects of our lives. However, I have found that complaining, criticizing, and condemning our circumstances only degrades our spirit and makes it difficult for us to find that joy that we are meant to experience in life. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said: 

If we constantly focus on the stones in our mortal path, we will almost surely miss the beautiful flower or cool stream provided by a loving Father who outlined our journey. 

Every life has stones in its path. But without the stones, we wouldn't appreciate when our path is smooth and easy. Besides, the stones are what makes the path beautiful. We must always remember that we have truly been blessed with an abundant life! And I know that Christ is always there to light our path. My favorite quote is by C.S. Lewis. He said: 

Just as the sun is always shining in the sky, Christ is always there for us lighting our way. Despite the clouds that sometimes obscure our view of the sun, we know that the sun is there. Trials may cloud our view of our Savior, but do we doubt that He is there? In the darkest, coldest night, do we have to be perfect to earn a sunrise? No. Christ will always be there for us. He will always light the blackest of nights and we can have unwavering confidence that He will be there for us ushering in a new, clean morning. 

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives!