Mosiah 24:15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
I've had some pretty hard burdens at times, and I suspect that the Lord strengthened me to bear those burdens. But I don't remember staying cheerful. I know I pushed forward and got through it, but how cheerful was I?
I like this quote:
Elaine Cannon
"Life is like that. When we can't change a
circumstance, we can either grit our teeth and hang on with clenched
jaws, or we can submit cheerfully until change occurs. And with God's
help we can learn some important lessons. We can feel peace." (Adversity, p. 61)
I'm not quite sure how to do this. I'm afraid I'm more of a "grit our teeth and hang on with clenched jaws" kind of person. I know I'm not going to give up, but I'm not very joyous about it. I think it's tied to gratitude. When things are tough, we need to look for the blessings, to watch for the beautiful sunsets, for joyous music, for babies' faces, for the strength of friends, for love of family. If we can see those things despite our pain, we can rejoice in our blessings that are always present whatever the trials. Yes, it may be a Pollyanna kind of attitude, but that's better than being gloomy and making everyone around you feel the same.
Verse 16. And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.
ReplyDeleteI just noticed this verse, which tells us WHY Alma's people were able to be so happy in their burdens. They had great faith in the Lord. That's the crux, isn't it? They loved the Lord so much and had absolute faith in His promise to deliver them that they submitted happily to their trials. Faith. Trust in the Lord. Knowing that He will keep His promises, that He loves us, that He will take care of us. That's the key.
Your words just strengthened me in a difficult moment. Thank you.
ReplyDelete