"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28)

Day #29

I am so grateful for the encouragement this scripture offers me (because someday's just require a little extra encouragement).

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, 

to them who are the called according to His purpose" 

(Romans 8:28)

Christ Mocked  by Gustave Dore

We all have challenges, trials, and afflictions that we experience and endure. They aren't easy. And sometimes we have no idea why things happen other than to say, "bad things happen to good people". Hence, we all need a little encouragement and help to know that there is a purpose for our suffering and pain. I don't have all the answers, but if I may, I will us the words of Alma to his son Helaman: "...for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day" (Alma 36:3).

I can only speak from my own experience, that I do know God supports us and lifts us as we endure and put our trust in Him. He loves us more than words can say. I have seen and experienced that all things do work for our good as we love God. As I endure great pain and challenges I know that God's purpose is to enable me to return to Him (see Moses 1:39). I have learned things that I never thought possible as I have trusted in my God, and as He has helped me endure experiences I would not have chosen for myself (or anyone else for that matter). I do know- we are not alone and most definitely, all things will eventually, work together for good. This I testify.

"The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works" (Psalms 145:9)

I am so grateful I find peace when I am so angry I could rip someone's head off...okay, not literally, by reading the scriptures. We have a child that has a mild form of autism. We just recently learned this and it has been a blessing to receive this knowledge. The scriptures helped me to have the strength and understanding that we will be able to help our son regardless of how blind others choose to remain. I know that anger isn't a way to solve a problem. It isn't the way to relieve frustration, even though it may seem to be a quick fix. Anger usually just causes more pain (and I was pretty angry at how close minded/blind people can be). I am so grateful for the example of prophets and apostles, living and from the scriptures, because they testify of Christ and teach me how to handle challenges and affliction, or perhaps just deal with my anger and therefore "...the grace of God" may be and [and is able to] abide in [me]" (see Ether 12:41).

I had never really noticed all these years that I have read The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ that Nephi, a prophet, starts by not only saying he was raised by "goodly parents", but that he had "seen many afflictions in the course of his days" (1 Nephi 1:1). Even prophets are not exempt from trials and afflictions. The last verse of that same chapter explains how Nephi sees and learns from his afflictions. He says, "I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance" (1 Nephi 1:20). Nephi doesn't say that the problems went away, but that he  focuses on the "tender mercies of the Lord". Tender mercies come in all shapes and sizes, sometimes making us "mighty even unto the power of deliverance"; other times, giving us the power to endure and to make our burdens lighter, so much so  that the Lord will "strengthen [us] that [we can] bear up [our] burdens with ease, and [we will] submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord" (Mosiah 24:15).

Sometimes the tender mercies lead us to deliverance by giving us the strength to endure, not necessarily taking the problem away. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, "The Atonement ...gives us the strength to endure 'pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind,' because our Savior also took upon Him 'the pains and the sicknesses of his people' (Alma 7:11). Brothers and sisters, if your faith and prayers and the power of the priesthood do not heal you from an affliction, the power of the Atonement will surely give you the strength to bear the burden" (He Heals the Heavy Laden). Over the years I have prayed for understanding, wisdom, knowledge, guidance, help, and much more as a parent. Being able to help a child who needs some extra attention, but not knowing what we were dealing with has led to a lot of frustration and anger. As times, I thought I would have to just give up, but that isn't a good solution, nor is it an option. In the end, I have always been given the strength to endure. As parents, we need strength to endure all things because, truly, "we believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things" (Article of Faith 13). The only way to be able to endure parenting with joy, or any trial for that matter, is to rely upon the Savior.

As a mother with a child who has autism, unbeknownst to me, but I knew that something wasn't "right" with my child, I have struggled and struggled for years to "help" him. It hasn't been easy. People expect him, and I expected him, to act like my other children in various situations, and he didn't behave/respond the same, no matter how many times we asked, threatened, helped, encouraged, taught, loved, him to do differently. The tender mercies of the Lord have been with us the whole time as we have tried to guide our son. He is an incredible child of God. He is loving and kind, brilliant, and filled with joy and enthusiasm for life. The wonderful mercy that has been given us wasn't having our son changed to "normal" (whatever normal is), but having us change, and continue to be changed. We are more patient (and get to learn more patience as we help others learn to help our son), more understanding of other people and the challenges they are faced with, more forgiving. I'm not a perfect parent/person, and I continue to learn every day and pray as the Psalmst, "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions" (Psalms 51:1), because boy do I make a lot of mistakes trying to help my children. And God does hear and answers my prayers. He loves His children- "The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works" (Psalms 145:9). I am so grateful for the grace of Jesus Christ. Without it, I don't know where I would be. I realized one day that I do my best as a parent and then I have to leave the rest up to Him (see 2 Nephi 25:23). That is grace in full action! What a tender mercy to give to all His children- grace.

There are times in our lives when we are like Nephi and are asked to "return to Jerusalem" (1 Nephi 3:2) even when we already left everything behind (see 1 Nephi 2:4), or so we thought. Sometimes, we have to "return" because we have more to learn, things so precious that it effects our future and the future of our children (see 1 Nephi 3:19-20). Life is guaranteed to have affliction. We are told, "Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days" (D&C 24:8). We can be as Nephi who responded with "I will go and do" because, just as he had faith to go, we too will "know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7). The way is prepared...Jesus showed us the way, because He is "the way" (John 14:6). We can do it, even on the days that are really hard, and those days we are really angry. "His tender mercies are over all His works" (Psalms 145:9) ~this includes you and me. This I testify.

"...let us run with patience the race that is set before us". (Hebrews 12:1)

When I signed up to do an "endurance" bike ride, I thought it would be a lot of fun. I was really pumped about it (ha, pumped). When we drove into the city where the ride was taking place my brother pointed across the small valley to the side of the mountain and said, "I think that's the hill we are going to ride up". I almost started to cry, literally. If I had known before I signed up for the race I was suppose to ride up that hill, I would not have signed up for the ride (note, it is a ride, not a race). But I did sign up for it. My heart wanted to finish, but my mind was saying that the hill was way too steep and way too long. My brother looked at me and said, "You can do it. Just put your bike in low gear and crank away. Nice and steady until you get to the top. Just keep going. You don't have to be fast, just steady."

I am so grateful for those words. Even today, months after the ride. Because some days the climb is much steeper than others and we must remain steady or in other words, "steadfast", fixed and focused on the goal, the goal being to finish the ride. The Lord has said essentially the same thing, but using different words. "But he that remaineth steadfast and is not overcome, the same shall be saved" (Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:11). We are all in this "human ride" (note it is a ride, not a race) together, not against each other. We are here to help one another, to "edify one another"
(1 Thessalonians 5:11). To edify means: "instruct, school, teach, inform, guide, improve, educate, nurture, elevate, enlighten, uplift" (The Free Dictionary). Wow! What a beautiful way of encouraging each other and cheering each other on in this ride that we are doing together, not racing against one another.

Sometimes, the hill may seem overwhelming and we might feel like stopping. Well, in the bike ride were little rest stops and refill stations along the way to fill our water bottles and quench our thirst and even eat food. We too have rest stops each week to quench our thirst as we "hunger and thirst after righteousness" and we are filled (see Matthew 5:6) as we partake of the sacrament and renew our covenants with our Savior that we will "always remember Him" (D&C 20:77,79) because our goal is to complete the ride and return to Him. "Feasting upon the word" (2 Nephi 31:20) feeds us spiritually and helps nourish our soul to keep us in remembrance of Christ daily. When we "always remember Him" we are focused on the goal, the end and purpose for this ride. It is easier to be "steadfast and immovable" (Alma 1:25) when we are "fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies" (Alma 58:12), keeping our "heart...fixed" (Psalms 112:7) on Christ rather than wavering all over the place (see James 1:6), worrying about how big the hill is and whether or not we will make it to the top. We actually do make it to the top when we "remember" and keep pumping and "pressing forward" (2 Nephi 31:20).

In finishing the ride, I was so tired I actually wasn't even excited. It wasn't until about 2 hours later that it sunk in what I had actually accomplished. I had done something that I hadn't thought I could do. I had actually done and completed a race, a race against myself! We are only racing against ourselves in this human ride, no one else. "...Let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). We each have a race that is made specifically for us, each hill, each mile, even the bike we are to ride on is made exactly for us to test our strength. We choose to pump and change the gears to fit the speed that will help us make it to the top. Sometimes we may have to get off and run or walk up the hill (see 1 Corinthians 9:24). Guess what? That's okay! "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brighness of hope, and a love of God and of all men...if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:20). We can make it to the top with our heart and mind fixed on Christ and "endure to the end" (3 Nephi 15:9) of our "race"  (Hebrews 12:1), no matter how big, or overwhelming the hill may seem. This I testify.