I am grateful for trials. I don't wish for trials to come or am excited when they do come but I know they will make me stronger. And I know the Lord will be right by my side to lift me up when I am at my lowest and to show me His love when I need it most. I know that as we keep going and not give up through the hard as well as easy times, He will give us the needed strength to continue on.
One of my favorite scriptures is in the Book of Mormon in Alma 26:27 and it says, "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." When you are depressed or discouraged or disheartened or low DON'T GIVE UP. Keep on going! Have patience and the faith to endure and the Lord WILL bless us. He has promised to be right by our side. He will give us the success we need to continue through the trials we are called to pass through, whether it is added strength, a friend, needed comfort, uplifting hope, increased faith, deepening courage, inspiring love, a miracle or whatever we stand in need of.
On my mission there are days where it seems like the world is against us and no one wants to listen and we are close to tears and don't know if we should put the next foot forward. My companion and I have had a few of these moments this past month. Recently we had been walking around more in this warmer weather trying to save miles. On one particular day, we were having a very discouraging and disheartening day and right when we wanted to turn back, to go home, or to give up for the day a huge miracle and tender mercy happened...one of the members in the ward pulled up on the side of the road and told us to hop in and she was going to drive us wherever we needed to go! This was Heavenly Father's way of saying to us: "Don't give up. Keep on going! I believe in you and I am right here with you and will give you the support and strength you need to continue on."
When trying moments like this happen, or weeks like this happen, or months like this happen, as we use all the faith, hope, and strength we have to put the next foot forward, I know we will feel power and strength beyond our own. I know this because I have seen it in my life countless times both before my mission and now. The Lord will not leave us alone - He will always be near us helping us to get through the day, to pass through a moment of crisis, and to lift us up off the ground. He is always near. In a revelation given to the prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord stated: "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" (Doctrine and Covenants 84:88). I know this to be true for each one of us as we keep moving forward and keep pressing on through our trials. Heavenly Father will never leave us alone, He is always listening, and He will always send us the people, the comfort, the miracle, the love, and the tender mercy we need to continue on.
