"...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.

"...I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up" (D&C 84:88)

Riding around Bear Lake has become somewhat of a tradition for my dad, my brother David, my brother-in-law Kevin, and the past two years has increased with my nephew Garrett, and this year two of my sons- Stockton and Ethan. Often we ride fast, and there is a bit of a competitive edge about doing it to see how fast one can finish the ride. But this year was a little different in that my son Ethan has absolutely no desire to go fast. He goes at his own pace. I stayed behind him, and for the first 15 miles thought he may turn around because everyone had gone ahead of us. We caught up with them, they started again and passed us, with the exception of my brother David (therefore Ethan's Uncle). He stayed with us. He told Ethan, "Riding is suppose to be fun. You go at your own pace. Especially with this being your first ride, don't worry about how fast you're going. I will even ride back to the cabin with you if needed". With these words of encouragement, Ethan settled in and kept pumping away, slow and steady.

This was a ride in the true sense of the word. It was not a contest, but a ride. All too often in life the competitive side of our natural man comes charging in and wants to take control, or be the best, fastest, better than, or greater than all other participants when in reality, it's a ride...not a competition and there is no need to contend for one's place or position while on a ride. When David told Ethan to "enjoy the ride" I couldn't help think of this scripture: "Adam fell that men might be; men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi  2:25). The joy comes in the journey!

I had started out on this ride expecting to ride fast, keep up with everyone, and be back in time for lunch. Well, it turned out to be different and in the long run (or ride in this case), one that will stand out in my mind forever. It was an incredible experience to watch my son continue pedaling hour after hour, enduring the heat, and receiving encouragement from his Uncle David. Pres. Monson says it so beautifully about enjoying the journey now: "This is our one and only chance at mortal life- here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and nonexistent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey- now" (Finding Joy in the Journey).

On that ride I learned so many subtle, but powerful lessons and the ride ended up being one of incredible joy. While seeing my son Ethan with his Uncle David encouraging him and patiently riding beside him, I understood more clearly that the Savior will always be there for us. He says, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18). There are so many times when we think we are on our own, and yet he will always be there to comfort and guide us on our life's journey.  We are told, "...I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up" (D&C 84:88). Most often, the angels beside us are our family members, friends, and people we associate with on a regular basis. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland teaches us this about angels:

"But when we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with-here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems close than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind" (The ministry of Angels).

This ride called life is meant to be enjoyed, and yes, endured well. As a mother who witnessed a miracle of her son finishing the longest ride he had attempted (the longest he had ridden was 4 miles prior to attempting this 50 mile ride), I testify that we are never alone, we will never be left comfortless (see John 14:18), and there will be angels in our lives to "bear [us] up".

Riding behind Ethan and David

We did it! Ethan, David, and me. It was a journey of great joy :)

P.S. Know you are loved!