Trials

Today I would like to share my thoughts on trials.

First, let me explain a little about my background.

22 years ago this November, I was in a car accident along with some of my extended family. During the car accident I hit the right side of my head (which controls the left side of our body). I was taken to Primary Children’s and after spending three weeks in Intensive Care I woke up.

22 years later I look back on the 3,000 hours of therapy, 27-28 surgeries, and to cope with growing up in a two handed world with one hand and the ability to only be able to fully use the right side.

Because of the severity of my head injury, I have a slower reaction time than most people, which includes my memory. This means I have had to concentrate harder in school or on whatever I’m learning.

Having said all this, I have graduated from high school, received my associates, and am working on my bachelors’ degree. I have also taught myself to tie a tie and cut my finger nails with one hand. I have served an LDS service mission and spent a semester in Nauvoo Illinois.

On November 12, 2005 during my time in Nauvoo, our class walked from Nauvoo to Carthage a distance of 23 miles. I was the last one to get back to the school, but along with my companions we made it in 9 hours and 15 minutes.

After Nauvoo I started school at Weber State University and then in the summer of 2008 I got the chance to go to Florida for 7-8 months and worked at Disney World, after that I came back and started school again.

That was a little long, but the point is throughout my life I’ve had a lot of trials but I’ve also had a lot of blessings. Life is full of trials and we can’t avoid them whether it is death, divorce, discouragement, loneliness, mistreatment, or something else.

We have to deal with it in some way and the sooner we deal with it the sooner we can recognize the blessing and strength that have come because of that trial. Every trial out there whatever it may be is tough and needs work to overcome.

I have a quote; it’s a letter from God to us it says:

“God, before he sent his children into the world, gave each of them a carefully selected package of problems.

“These, He promised smiling, are yours alone.

“Only you have the special talents and abilities that will make these problems your servants, and no one else may have the blessing these problems will bring you.

“So, go down to your birth, and to your forgetting.

“Know that I love you beyond measure.

“The problems I give you are a token of my love.

“The monument you make of your life, with the help of your problems, will be a token of your love for me.

Your Father”

The reference given is Charlie’s Monument by Blaine M. Yorgason

So, I guess it’s from a book.

Anyway, I agree with this quote. I think each of us on this earth have our own set of problems that only we can overcome.

In the LDS faith we believe there are two opposing forces on this earth one is good and one is bad. I’m going to use Heavenly Father to represent the good and the devil to represent the bad. As I said in my post yesterday we are all children of God and as such we have the potential to overcome all things.

After I understood that, I determined that trials only happen for two reasons to strengthen us or to destroy us. I believe Heavenly Father uses trials to strengthen or purify us, and the devil uses trials to bring us down or make us weaker.

We as humans want to succeed, so once we understand what trials are here for, we can easily discover the determination and strength we need to overcome those trials as well as gain the new perspective we need to help each other through whatever we may face.