So This is Life

 A song from Disney's animated Cinderella is entitled "So This is Love". 

Today's blog post is entitled "So This is Life".

And it's pretty awesome.  Obviously the good times are awesome.  Even the rough parts are pretty awesome because life is about growth and progression and turning to God.  And when life is rough, I am reminded how much I need to turn to God.  And when I do, I am filled to overflowing with evidences of his goodness.  I have felt run down by some life happenings over the last year.  I've battled discouragement, anxiety, and fear.  I've doubted my choices and relationships and identity.  AND AT THE SAME TIME, my understanding and trust in God and Jesus Christ has grown.  I have seen absolute miracles in my life and the lives of my loved ones.  My family has been strengthened and protected by angels on both sides of the veil.  I have been uplifted and sustained by the listening ears and kind words of friends

It's been terrible and wonderous.  I am not who I was.  And that is the point.  

So today as my heart and mind feel very full of both kinds of emotions, I have felt strongly prompted to write it down.  Partly so there is a record for me to look back on.  But also because I need an emotional download.  Get it down here so I don't have to carry all those thoughts and feelings around in my mind.

During our Stake Conference on Sunday (AMAZING!) I was bombarded (in a good way) by so many thoughts and phrases and scriptures that have sustained me over the last year.  Ideas that I would meditate on and roll around in my mind and say over and over.  Some of them I've treasured for a long time.  Others have struck a chord in my mind and heart more recently.   So in no particular order giving no credit to whomever I first heard the idea from, here are a few of my favorite thoughts.

---We will all have the lessons we need.  If I need to learn humility, the Lord in his kindness, will provide lessons on humility.  The Lord is beyond patient in his teaching.  He will meet us where we are.  We can kick and scream and resist and he won't change his perfect teaching methods.  We are here to learn by our own experience.  It's okay if we don't like it sometimes.  It's okay if we're sad or mad.  He KNOWS how best to teach us.  And it doesn't matter if we make mistakes.  In fact, that is part of the teaching method.  To make mistakes and to learn.  As President Nelson said, as "We let God prevail" in our lives, we trust the teacher-- the Master-- trust that he 100% will shape us into celestial beings prepared to live in his presence.  And he is doing that all of his children.  If we want to, we will all learn what we need to learn.  

---Let not your heart by troubled, neither let it be afraid.  In the words of Cannon, "Scriptures-- am I right?  This isn't just a "Don't worry, be happy" scripture.  The reason we can not be troubled or afraid is because Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, knows how the story ends.  He knows he will/has atoned for our sins and weaknesses.  That's the big picture.  We don't have to give into discouragement or fear.    Somehow he will fix all the wrongs.  He will heal all the hurt.  He will make whole all that is broken.  It will be better for us than any of us deserve.  If we want it him to he will exalt us all.

How would I feel/act if I knew this was all going to end well?  What if I already knew the end?  What if my life is like a movie I'm watching and I'm in the part where things look really bad for the heroine?  She has made mistakes.  She has been dealt injustices.  I don't see how she's going to get out of the difficult situation she is in.  I'm totally able to still be happy watching a movie, even while the heroine struggles because I know somehow it's going to work out and she will have a happy, satisfying ending.  What if life it like that?  I believe it is.  I can choose to be happy and trusting,  knowing that This is going to end well.  I strongly believe this is true for the small stuff and the big stuff.  For me and for the people I love.  We are all going to struggle and sometimes it's not going to look very hopeful.  But it will end well for us.

Life is beach volleyball, not gymnastics.  Okay, clearly this is an Olympics analogy ('tis the season), but hear me out.  In gymnastics the goal is perfection-- as in, no mistakes.  You practice endless hours and in competition you get one shot to perform it as well as you possibly can in that moment.  The judges are looking for any mistakes and penalizing you accordingly.  In a beach volley ball game there are two players on each team and there is a lot of territory to cover.  Points WILL be lost.  Mistakes will be made.  When players lose a point they don't dramatically react.  They connect with their partner in the middle of the court.  If things aren't going well they change tactics.   If they are going well, they acknowledge the small victory and stay focused for the next play.   There is no expectations of a game with no mistakes made.  Points lost are useful information to predict the opponents future attacks. I used to think life was more like gymnastics and oh, the heart break when I didn't live up to my expectations.  But it's not, it's a beach volleyball game.

All things are working together for my good.  I don't need to see and understand exactly HOW that is going to come about.  The Lord works in mysterious ways.  His ways are not my ways.  It is HIS work and HIS glory to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man.  Won't it be cool so see exactly how he does it.  And all things are working together for the good of my husband and children.  

Let us CHEERFULLY do all things within our power; and then may we stand still, and with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God and for his arm to be revealed.  It doesn't just say to do all things within our power, but to do it cheerfully.  Not only am I allowed to be cheerful, but he wants me to be cheerful.  Basically, do what what I can do cheerfully, and if I can't do it cheerfully then maybe it's more than I can do right  now.  And then stand back with total confidence and watch what God will do.

He is my God.  I am HIS.  That is who I am.  I have made covenants I am trying to keep.  There is POWER in that.  So take Courage- for the Lord is on thy side. 

The Lord is good and that makes life good.