Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Spring

Winter weighs heavy on me after a while with it's yellow grass, barren trees, and dead flowers. Its overcast sky represses the sunlight that used to make my skin a golden brown. I often wonder if winter will last forever. 

But each year, without fail, signs of life begin to appear. At first it's slow--a small patch of green grass and a tiny bud--but then it's as though everything explodes with life simultaneously. Harsh, wooden branches yield up soft, delicate blossoms in an array of sweet-scented pastels. 

The bite of winter's frost starts to soften into the embrace of a warm spring breeze with sunshine gently kissing my cheeks, turning them a rosy pink. Where the prickly remains of last year's grass once was, a tender blanket of new grass grows.

The anxiety of winter fades into the promise of summer and second chances spring up with the daffodils.

Monday, March 26, 2012

"Good things are coming our way"

Right now I can see very clearly many of my weaknesses. I think I will count this as a blessing. I know where my insecurities are and I can work on them and try to make them strengths. 

I just remembered a verse in the Book of Mormon that ties into this. It is in Ether 12:27 and it reads "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

I don't know about you, but this makes me feel quite a bit better about the whole matter. I love thinking about the fact that "[his] grace is sufficient for all men." I learned this year in my Book of Mormon class that the atonement does not only cover all sins made by everyone, it also covers our pains and sufferings. One thing that I have come to know is that Jesus Christ is always there for us with his arms outstretched. He will never leave us, if we don't know him anymore, it is because we have left him. 

It is comforting to know that we are never alone. Even when we are faced with what seem like the darkest and loneliest of times, we always have a friend in Jesus. 

Not too long ago, I had a moment where I felt like I might never be happy again. The thought came to me that I should pray. I prayed earnestly to feel okay again and for help to come out of this dark feeling. It seemed like as soon as I expressed how I felt in my prayer, that a wash of relief came over me--like everything really would be okay. I have had lots of similar experiences to this with prayer. I know that when I pray, my Heavenly Father is truly listening. He may not always give me the answer or the experiences that I want, but it is always what I need to become a better person. 

I hope that you, as my reader, will come to know (if you don't already) that prayer works. 

Another thing I have found in difficult times is that God works through the people around us. I have felt exceptionally alone lately, but looking back I can see clearly that the whole time I had people by my side willing to help. Sometimes it would just be a smile on the way to the Cannon Center, or a phone call from my mom. 

If you feel alone, read this talk given by Dieter F. Uchtdorf during the October 2011 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:


This talk is beautiful. It is well-written and inspired.

So just know that when things seem stuck, there is always One who will help you. All you need to do is ask. 

There is a really great Coldplay song with these lyrics, "I know one thing, good things are coming our way" There are so many "good things." For one thing, we are alive! There are so many things to be happy about. It's just a matter of realizing how many good things you really have. When I sit down and think about it, I am surprised at how blessed I truly am. 

I think I will be a lot happier if I remember that I'm not alone and that I really am blessed.