Hard Days Will Pass

Today was a hard day. I guess it's been a hard week or so. After talking with my amazing big sis, Kami, and reading this talk that one of her friends posted I'm starting to feel a little better. For all of you who may have a hurting heart, I hope these words help. This is from a talk by Elder Holland.

When we feel broken, which we all have....

1) When these times come for you or others remember God loves broken things. It takes broken clouds to nourish earth, broken earth to grow grain, broken grain to make bread. God can fix all things that are broken, they are understood by him and incorporated into His plan for us. The thing that he loves most is a broken heart and a contrite spirit - symbols of the Atonement which replaced the firstling of the flock after the Atonement was wrought.

A broken heart and contrite spirit is a more personal sacrifice than a burnt offering. Please don't resist if God helps to break your heart, he doesn't do it maliciously. He will handle it with care while it's broken and you will get it back whole. It will be restored whole just as our bodies will be restored whole through the Atonement. If we'll be faithful and true and not cut and run we'll get it all back. Don't panic if something breaks even if it's the heart of a child, spouse, or family member. The 'Night' will pass

2) When these times come and they will come and you're in the middle of the offering, remember what Virgil (Christian contemporary) said, "When these times come, endure, and save yourselves for days of happiness ahead." The declaration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that you will be happy again. The longer you think about not being happy the more you convince yourself that you never have been happy. The gospel brings happiness, it brought you happiness before this night began and you will have that happiness again. When you're in the middle of night you might say, "I can't do this, the load I've been asked to carry I can't carry." We all say that, it's the natural thing to say.

During this time we realize that the path we say we can't walk we do walk. We start to see what God is trying to say. When you look deep within yourself you start to see your true divinity, with a lot more strength than you thought you had and probably more that you wanted ;) You're waiting for the crash and somehow the ship levels out, although you're sure you're still going down.....and then the incline of the valley starts sloping up and you see a ray of light. For some this comes soon, others later, others in heaven but be assured it will come. In tough times square your shoulders, pull up your socks, and grit your teeth.

3) Don't you dare in those times say, "Well I guess God doesn't love me." If you say that personal problems are equated to God's lack of love you are wrong, because what does that say of some of the best people that have lived on this planet? What does that say about the Son of God?

When you hurt He hurts, DON'T YOU DARE SAY HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU. The first rule of seamanship is when there's a storm you stay in the boat. You may need to hunker down at the bottom of the ship with the oars pulled in over you but you stay in the ship, don't even consider jumping ship. When you have storms in your life you've never needed the church more,

DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE. Where would you go?....the rotary club?....the gardening club? You stay with the truth, prove there's divinity in you. You're gonna have to say, "please let this cup pass" but if it won't then you square your shoulders, bow your head and say, 'yes.' We have to do it to prove who we are and who He is.

When the disciples were in the storm tossed ship in the New Testament Jesus slept. They awoke Him and asked, "carest thou not that we perish?" The ship is going to sink! He responded, 'oh ye of little faith.' Then he raised his arm to the square and said, 'peace be still' and the wind and waves obeyed his voice. The disciples said, 'who is this man that even the wind and waves obey his voice.' In stormy seas we need the person that can control wind and waves.

Be believing, the sun will shine again.