"Jesus wept." (John 11:35)

Day 16 (Dec. 16th) #LIGHTtheWORLD
"Jesus showed compassion and so can you"

The Guide to the Scriptures under compassion it reads: "In the scriptures, compassion means literally "to suffer with." It also means to show sympathy, pity, and mercy for another." One of the first scriptures that came to mind that exemplifies this is John 11:35, "Jesus wept." I see Christ suffering with Mary as He weeps with her over the death of her brother Lazarus. As  He weeps with them He is expressing compassion and tenderness.

I am grateful for this display of tenderness and love. I know that there are times when I do not take time to have compassion, "to suffer with" others as they need such kindness and support. For me, compassion is shown when someone takes time to visit me when I am sick, or listen to me when I am sad or alone. Compassion takes the form of encouragement when I am not sure I can endure another day of pain or sorrow for the hurt or illness of a loved one.

Compassion is not what our society would term "heroic". But for me, those who show compassion are ones who can also experience the greatest of joys. "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things" (2 Nephi 2:11). Jesus had compassion first, He wept with His friends. And then He said, "Lazarus, come forth" (John 11:43). Jesus shared in their joy as He raises Lazarus from the dead. Without compassion, we cannot experience the joy that follows healing, or the joy that will come when we and our loved ones are resurrected and made whole.

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"...the God of All Comfort..." (2 Corinthians 1:3)

Christ is the light of the world.
I choose to focus on the light

I realize that there is so much suffering, hurt, sorrow, misery, injustice, and pain in the world from which I am sheltered. I cannot imagine what some people must endure from their own choices, other people's choices, and just part of living in a physical world. It's too easy to get sucked into the "dark" if I focus on all the bad things that happen every day in the world. Therefore I choose to focus on the "light", even the Light of Christ. It is defined as: "Divine energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives life and light to all things" (Light). I love that light is divine energy and power. I can feel this power as I make good choices and focus on the love that God has for all of His children.
  
I also choose to focus on hope. There is always hope! Hope is defined as: "The confident expectation of and longing for the promised blessings of righteousness" (Hope). This hope- even a "perfect brightness of hope" (2 Nephi 31:20) which brings peace, joy, and relief, can only come from One True Source, even Jesus Christ. He is "the God of peace" (Romans 15:33).

I can imagine a "God of peace" (Romans 16:20). Even the "Prince of Peace"(Isaiah 9:6). I can imagine and feel hope because- He lives (D&C 76:22)!

God offers us peace and comfort. And not just the absence of war or contention. But true peace that calms the "troubled heart" (see John 14:1).

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

A Heavenly Father is there to comfort us. A Savior. Our Savior is there to comfort us in our darkest hours. In our painful hours. In the hours of joy and sorrow, He is there to comfort us and to rejoice with us.

I have found that where there is pain there is also joy, because we cannot have one without the other, neither light without darkness (see 2 Nephi 2:11). As I endure physical pain, I am appreciative of this statement by Orson F. Whitney:

No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience, is wasted. It ministers to our education, to 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" (Joy in the Journey)

The truth is, Jesus Christ is the source of hope and "the God of all comfort" (2 Corinthians 1:3). Even in our darkest hours, which indeed we may come to find that they are our finest hours, will be filled with light (see The Great Plan of the Eternal God). He is the divine light that fills our hearts with joy, even in the midst of suffering. This I testify.

I love to see the light He offers me. In it I find comfort and joy.

"Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life" (3 Nephi 15:9).

I had the opportunity to ride The Cache Valley Century (that's 100 miles) on August 23, 2014. This has been, to date, the most difficult century I have had to endure. It wasn't because of the distance, or the hills. It was due to the weather. I was able to ride with my son, Stockton, this being his first century ride (and probably last), for most of it. The ride started out with gorgeous weather. The temperature was just right, the sun was out, and there was a cheerful feeling in the air. At the first rest stop Stockton dumped his jacket and his longer pants because it was warm and he didn't really need them. Shortly thereafter, Stockton and I split about mile 35, with him going ahead with my dad and brother who have a faster pace than I do. I continued on my own, enjoying the ride and the beautiful country.

Not long after, the weather took a sharp turn. There were dark clouds that gathered quickly and I had just the right amount of time to get on my rain gear. The rain poured down with some hail to make it even worse. The rain gear was obsolete, but it did break the wind. I was at 50 miles when it stopped raining. I was really in the debate about whether or not I wanted to finish. I was cold and pretty much soaked. I called Jeff, and he encouraged me after I told him I was alone and of the weather conditions. About 10 minutes later the weather dumped again. Rain and hail just pelting down. It was hard to see, and the wind was in my face forcing me to go at a very slow pace.

Shortly after, I found out that my brother-in-law was at mile 70. This gave me courage to continue pedaling. I had no idea where Stockton was, thinking that perhaps he had chosen to do the 60 mile ride. I knew my dad and brother had done the 60 miles and was informed they had completed their ride. With rain pouring down, I continued to pedal, keeping my eyes peeled for my brother-in-law. We passed each other, me asking him how far to the next rest stop. He yelled, "About another 10 miles"! I passed several people hiding under trees, and just stopped due to the raging wind, rain, and dime sized hail. At this point these thoughts went through my mind, "Why in the heck did I want to do this ride? Should I really keep going? What am I trying to prove?"

I kept going. The sun came out as I rounded a corner to enter the rest stop at 70 miles. Low and behold, there was Stockton!!! He was standing there in his shorts and t-shirt shivering. He had no gloves so his hands were pretty numb.  I asked if he wanted to call dad and have him come get us. "Nope, I'm going to keep going", he replied. I had been ready to quit and would have had Stockton not been there. We stayed there for about 45 minutes trying to warm up in the sun. When we took off, Stockton was in the lead. He pushed the pace to 19 mph. I tried to keep up and was able to only because it started to rain again after about 5 miles. Again, it dumped rain and hail. We just kept plugging away, encouraging each other just by the mere presences of being together.

As it was dumping rain, I watched Stockton ahead of me, and I am praying for it to stop raining on my son. He is such a good and righteous young man that I just wanted him to not have to endure this horrible weather or have such a bad experience for his first century ride. As I am praying for him the thought comes, "For it must needs be, that here is an opposition in all things" (2 Nephi 2:11), and then, "...He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45). We all get to endure "bad weather". All of God's children are to be "tried in all things" (D&C 136:31), even the just and the unjust. We don't get to decide what we have to endure. Nope. What we get to decide is whether or not we will endure. The bad weather broke with about 8 miles left. We enjoyed each others company, and I was so grateful he was there to ride with me to the end.

As Stockton and I crested the last hill there was a street light we had to stop at. There across the street was my husband, Jeff, and our son, Ethan. I started to cry I was so relieved and happy to see them! We went around the block to finish and there was Jeff, our two other sons, my dad, my brother-in-law, and brother and his whole family cheering for us. It was so overwhelming to see these people that I love I couldn't hold back the sobs (literally) of joy and relief of seeing them. There was so much joy after having finished and enduring to the end! It hit me how important it is to "endure to the end" in all things.

Elder Richard J. Maynes said this about enduring: "As we temporarily endure the challenges we can solve and as we continue to endure the challenges we cannot solve, it is important to remember that the spiritual strength we develop will help us successfully endure all the challenges we face in life" (The Strength to Endure). After riding this century and enduring such harsh weather conditions I realize even more that there is purpose in difficult things. The joy of seeing loved ones at the end can't be described. That is what eternal life, for me, is all about- FAMILY!

Christ said, "Behold, I am the the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life" (3 Nephi 15:9). When I finished with Stockton by my side and my family members cheering us on, I had never been more alive. I was filled with joy. I testify that as we endure the "harsh weather" and other challenges that come our way, we will be filled with peace, joy, and receive spiritual strength to endure all things. "For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37).

Stockton before the ride. Note the jacket and pants that he ditched at the first rest stop

Stockton at the first rest stop. Notice the jacket and pants are now gone. Also note the clear, blue, sunny skies!

Ready to head out from the first rest stop.

The last 8 miles were without rain, but the roads were still wet. Those are my feet and Stockton in in front of me.

Taken by Jeff as we crossed at the light- this is when I started to cry from relief and joy of seeing him and Ethan. Notice Stockton now has my rain jacket on...he was very cold!

Stockton crossing the "finish line" made by my brother and brother-in-law. 

Me crossing the makeshift finish line. We were the last ones in...or crazy enough to keep going. Everything had been taken down and put away by the time we arrived.

The bruises on my arm from the hail.

The sky after the storm. It was beautiful country!

"...They taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good" (Moses 6:55)

The other morning as I walked in the cold weather, my heart was very heavy. I was having a difficult time focusing on anything positive and was feeling a bit sorry for myself after an incident that had taken place with family the night before. I wanted to quit thinking about it and focus on something else. I really wanted to run away from the problem, but that would do no good and be very selfish. So, as I walked, I looked around at the stark contrast between the white of the snow and the dark branches of the trees. I thought of how the trees go dormant during the winter and that eventually spring always comes after what seems like such a cold and deathly winter; buds appear and bloom into flowers, leaves poke their heads out and grow. Most definitely, "there is an opposition in all things" (2 Nephi 2:11).

I started to make a mental list of all the things that I was grateful for, of oppositions as I walked. This helped me focus on something else other than the heavy heart that I didn't want to keep carrying in the bitter, cold morning. I have to be honest, the "bitterness" came from my foul mood, and the "sweetness" was an effort to change my attitiude. There is not a particular order to this list of oppositions, but each, both the bitter and the sweet, has brought a blessing into my life. I hope you will come up with your own list of oppositions. If we "should never have bitter [or opposition we] could not know the sweet" (D&C 29:39). As the Lord said to Adam, "...they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good" (Moses 6:55).  Truly, opposition blesses our lives with bitterness so that we may recognize the sweetness of the Lord and His "tender mercies" (1 Nephi 1:20). Without bitterness, we would not recognize what is sweet. Some of these may not make any sense to you, but this is my list of oppositions...and they need only make sense to me. I share them because I have grown from them, and have tasted the bitter and the sweet, and the sweet is "the most sweet, above all that I ever tasted" (1 Nephi 8:11).

My Short Blessing list of Oppositions 

• being hungry and thirsty in opposition to having enough food and water to eat and drink; not only physically but spiritually as well (see Matt 5:6)
• being bitterly cold in opposition to being warm, especially when I return home to the "warm hearts" of loved ones (see D&C 121:9)
• having a sick child in opposition to having a child become well or my children healthy all the time (see D&C 42:48)
• icy roads that I fall on and have to pick my self back up in opposition to roads that have been cleared and are easy to follow so that I don't stumble and fall (see 2 Nephi 4:32)
• being tired and exhausted in opposition to being awake and alert (see 1 Cor. 15:34)
• feeling alone and abandoned in opposition to feeling totally loved and surrounded by loved ones (see D&C 6:20-21)
• being in excruciating pain in opposition to having no more pain or free from pain (see Alma 36:19; Revelations 21:4; Mosiah 27:29) 
• tears of sorrow in opposition to tears of joy (see Psalms 126:5)
• darkness and night in opposition to sunshine and daylight (see Moroni 7:15) 
• making enemies in opposition to making and having friends (see Matt 5:44; 3 Nephi 12:44)
• barren, no growth in opposition to planting trees, pruning shrubs and  bushes and watching the beauty of these grow (see Alma 33:23)
• impatience, fretting, and worrying in opposition to waiting patiently, being calm, filled with faith (Psalms 37:5-11)

As I pondered these oppositions, and looked around me at the cold of winter that covered the earth, I realized that all these things testify of Christ. They all call us to Him, "He that ascended up on high, as also He descended below all things, in that He comprehended all things, that He might be in all and through all things, the light of truth; which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ" (D&C 88: 6-7). As we go through opposition, which gratefully we do, even though it is difficult and hard and sometimes we desperately don't want to, we can look to Him, the One who knows how to succor us according to our infirmities (see Alma 7:12) and heal our all our wounds and our souls and thus, we may know "to prize the good".

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." (2 Nephi 2:11)

Some days you just fall flat on your face when you hit ice. Well, at least I do. I now have a bruised elbow, and a bruise ego, but other than that, I'm good. I also have a greater appreciation for a healthy body. I have decided that falling was a good thing.  Why? Because without falling I wouldn't realize just how good I have it. I have a body that works, that my fingers can type these words, my eyes can see the beautiful world and creations all around me. I can see the beautiful faces of our children. I am blessed to have teeth~ I am so grateful I didn't smack my mouth or my jaw today. If I hadn't fallen, I wouldn't be appreciating the usual pain-free elbows I have or the knees that are so wonderful to help me pedal my bike, normally without pain.

Today, the opposition that landed me flat on my chest, face, and everything else helped me have a better perspective. It says: "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so...righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness not misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must need remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility" (2 Nephi 2:11). After falling today, and smacking into the cold, hard cement, I would choose to feel pain so that I could feel the joy rather than have no pain and no joy. I wouldn't give up either one...joy and happiness, kindness and love are too incredible to give up. So, I will endure the pain so that I can have the joy.

Christ wants all of us to have His joy and the only way we can have it is to endure pain. He said, "Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full. Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul. And seek the face of the Lord always, that in patience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life" (D&C 101:36-38). "The spirit and the body are the soul of man" (D&C 88:15) and we get to experience joy and sadness, pleasure and pain so that we may know to "prize the good" (Moses 6:55). Life isn't easy at times, but it isn't all bad either. We get to choose for ourselves to "prize the good". We get to know the joy because of the pain. We get to know the light because of the dark. We get to know holiness because of misery.

What a blessing to fall and to get back up. We don't have to stay on the ground or remain in our sins unless we choose to remain there (see Alma 9:15).  The beauty is we also have a choice to get up off the ground, return to standing, or in other words~ repent (see Alma 9:15). "If [we] return unto the Lord with all [our] hearts, ...and prepare [our] hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only: [then] He will deliver [us] out of the hand of [our enemies]", or in other words, our fall (1 Samuel 7:3). Choosing to get back up when we fall down may be difficult, but it is the choice that leads us up and closer to Christ. It is returning to Christ. It brings the greatest joy one could ever want and frees one from pain. This I testify.