Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Humanity... Loss of those loved...

My thoughts have turned to death recently as I read an article of two missionaries who returned from their missions as their family died from CO poisoning.  We also lost a beloved sister in our ward recently due to her bouts with pneumonia and other struggles, and her family are good friends of ours.  To top this off I attended the funeral of my cousins wife who recently died of cancer.  Her and her husband had previously lost 3 of their 6 children in their infancy, and she was 44 years of age.

The funeral was the most spiritual funeral I have attended to date.  What a wonderful life she led, and though the family has struggled through so much already, I feel for my cousin and his three remaining daughters.  The blessings she continues to bring to her three previous children and the family that remains on earth, are tremendous.

I look forward with great anticipation to the reunion of so many when this life ends and we meet again.  That being said there is so much goodness and glory that is being done on this earth.

I want to share my feelings of the power of struggles and trials and how they refine us as individuals:

Each person in this life faces struggles, trials, and tribulations.  These can brings us forward in life or drag us down.  They can lift us higher than we could hope to grow, and allow us to become greater than we ever imagined.  Each of us make the decision to go one of these direction each time we are tried.



To open myself, one of the greatest struggles I have faced in life, is communication.  I grew up in a family where to be heard you needed to raise your voice.  To get what you wanted you repeated yourself until you were recognized.  Each of us face some sort of communication struggle, even if the struggle is in others (I believe this is very rare). 

This likely seems like a trivial thing to many.  It is not our communication effects everyone around us.  I see people who really want to help others and are afraid to make things worse.  Not because the help would not be welcome, but because the communication is awkward.  Often times trust comes into play and people are concerned, because they have opened themselves at one point or another and have been hurt.  I believe strongly that this is unintentional almost always.

Me I tend to ramble on... am I getting better, yes, but I know this causes a lot of side effects in conversations that are rough for many.  This struggle makes it more difficult to do what I love the most.  That is to serve the Lord and my brothers and sisters here on the earth.  To draw them closer to a loving Heavenly Father and Savior, and with them partake of the joy that comes with this knowledge.

This struggle like all other struggles, trials and tribulations has a positive side.  This is often difficult to see through the struggle, trial or tribulation itself.


To go back to my initial comments, what is positive about losing a loved one?  I think this is a fair question... 

To answer this question first off I need to go into some personal beliefs. 

First, I believe the Savior is hastening His work.  I do not believe this is only happening on this side of the veil.  The Lord needs choice people to hasten His work among the spirits who have lived as well as among those that are currently living. 

Second, many who are being called back are exceedingly valiant and faithful.  They have done what the Lord required of them here and are still doing so. 

Third and this is the most difficult to swallow.  The Lord has great trust in those that are left behind.  In each case those affected can grow by understanding the loss of those they hold dear.  There is great trust placed in them (in all of us matter-of-factly). 

We stood by our Father in Heaven before this life and without actively using our agency, we may never know how we really would have faced the struggle, trial or tribulation we are facing.  For many it is not death.  For those facing the trial of death, my heart and soul go out to you.  There are no words that describe the loneliness, and pain you will sometimes feel. 

I bear this witness however that I know that this life is not the end of our existence.  We all have the option to be with those we love forever.  For those listed above they are sealed through priesthood power to be together forever.  The Saviors mercy goes far beyond this however.  They maintain active parts in their families lives.  They are at the happy and sad occasions.  They watch over and protect those they love.  They are often felt and sometimes seen, by those left behind.  I bear this witness, because I know it is true.

If this message is not one you have heard before let me know and I will make sure you have the opportunity to learn more.  Otherwise, trust in God and he will give you the ability to know as I do that these things are true.  With this assurance most of the difficulties we face become no longer a yoke that cannot be borne but another sheaf we can bear off, knowing that what the Lord entrusts to us we can and will do.

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