Faith & Hay...

Often times it seems like we are hit with unexpected situations & life doesn't turn out the way we think it should.  Maybe you have asked yourself today, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Or possibly, "Why won't Satan just leave me alone?" I've felt at times like nothing is going right or that God has just left me here to suffer...

 Well I believe we are all guilty of these negative thoughts at some point in our lives, and really it's not a bad thing :)  I thought for a while myself about these very questions. I came up with this; it’s in the midst of your trials, that you "Find your Faith." I think of this as it relates to "Finding the Needle in the Haystack." Sometimes there are thousands of things that are trying to bring us down, to doubt, or even to fear. It truly is at these moments that we have to work through these hard times and search for our faith. There is a scripture that reiterates what I'm trying to say, it's found in Ether 12:6-

"And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

As you work through the "Hay", you'll find that there will be comfort sent to you. Like the scripture in Doctrine & Covenants 84:88 says, "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."

So the next time that you are down and out, look at your trials from a different point of view. Look at it as if God feels you’re ready to grow once more, and gain greater experience. These trials help us to refine who we are, and bring us closer to our Father in Heaven. This is because we see that as we have gone through this "Hay" our God has been with us the whole time, "for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." This reminds me of the Footprints in the Sand Poem...

The next time you have thoughts of anguish just remember He is with you.

Like Doctrine & Covenants 103:12 says:

  "For after much tribulation… cometh the blessing."

I know that if we look at our trials as a chance to grow closer to God that we will be able to learn much more from them. I know that He is with us through those difficult times in our lives. We just have to press forward with the sure knowledge that "all things will work together for our good." It's in the hardest of times that we must "Find our Faith" and really learn to rely on our Heavenly Father the most! It's my prayer for each of us! :)