I have heard from some of my friends that they sorrow for the things I have gone through and that based on the person I am now it hurts them to see the struggles I have had to face. This post goes out to you and any others that feel this sorrow.
To begin with I want to commend you greatly for feeling this way. The scriptures describe this as Godly sorrow and it is often shown in a few ways. The first is for the sins of the people, and it is sorrow for the well being of their souls. The second is sorrow for the struggles and trials and tribulations of others, and is a sign of love and caring. In some ways this is the attribute I think of most when I think of the way our Heavenly Father sees the things we face and go through on this earth as we are tested and falter, or even stand through the pain. In my perspective this is one of the reasons why angels are sent to the earth to comfort us, and why this event is recorded in the scriptures that the angels supported Christ while he atoned for the sins of the world.
Charity or the pure love of Christ is at the heart of this discussion, this blog and for the most part the lives of all who serve our Savior in His church and attempt to bring to others the joy the gospel brings in its entirety. Charity guides each and everyone of us to make the sacrifices we do for our family members, a child in sorrow, the person we see on the street, or any other countless number of scenarios. Charity is what is shared with me when people sorrow for my past and sorrows.
With that being said I have commented to my friends that I am extremely grateful for the trials and struggles I have gone through. These struggles and trials I have faced in my past impact me and my life. However on a bigger scale similar struggles and trials impact countless others, many of which have buried them deep and do not believe they are worth caring for or even desire to end it all. They do not know that loving arms await them around the corner, and that their lives can be so much better. There are children going through similar things as the things I faced. There are young boys and girls that truly believe they are the cause of family problems and struggles. There are adults that have buried the hurts of a life full of pain far away so they do not have to face the pain. Some of these become the next abusers, because this is how they learned to deal with the feelings they face, some become depressed and withdraw from the world. Others stand and fight, some lose their lives in the attempt. Others become strong advocates of truth and right.
I will now write from the perspective of a population as I continue my thoughts:
We never know how the struggles of the past will affect those around us. And so we make the choices for ourselves based on our struggles. How do I deal with the monsters of the past, how do I cope, how do I make the most of a hard situation. Each individual faces these questions.
All of us deal with these choices, whether we face the burdens of abuse and hunger, or whether we face the trials of pride and the other cares of the world. We may face the temptation of having great wealth or poverty. Both have their trials and every place in between faces the trial of looking up or looking down and determining how to choose to see the world around them. Do we seek after the wealth and supposed power money brings... Do we seek after the humility and struggles poverty brings...
Money is only a single facet of the things of the past and future, but each trial, each success or failure can be viewed through a similar lens.
My past has taught me many things. The greatest of these is Charity. I have learned to seek after the good, and to discard the bad, and the burdensome. To seek the Lord daily... Sometimes all the day long, when things are rough... I have learned that almost always people are good. People are doing the best they can in the situations they are in.
This view allows me to make the world a better place. It allows me to see the pains of a hard past, but also the joys of a wonderful past in the things I have faced. To be fair with myself and others, to look at the world with eyes that can see through the spirit and not through my interpretation of what may or may not be going on, but to seek for what is really going on, and with that knowledge, comes the true power.
When truth is seen change can begin. With change comes hope, fulfillment, joy, and eventually eternal life.
I glory in the things of my past. Not because they are good, but because they allowed me to become good. Not because they were easy, but because they allowed me to grow. Not because they dragged me through the dirt, but because they allowed me to learn to fly.
To begin with I want to commend you greatly for feeling this way. The scriptures describe this as Godly sorrow and it is often shown in a few ways. The first is for the sins of the people, and it is sorrow for the well being of their souls. The second is sorrow for the struggles and trials and tribulations of others, and is a sign of love and caring. In some ways this is the attribute I think of most when I think of the way our Heavenly Father sees the things we face and go through on this earth as we are tested and falter, or even stand through the pain. In my perspective this is one of the reasons why angels are sent to the earth to comfort us, and why this event is recorded in the scriptures that the angels supported Christ while he atoned for the sins of the world.
Charity or the pure love of Christ is at the heart of this discussion, this blog and for the most part the lives of all who serve our Savior in His church and attempt to bring to others the joy the gospel brings in its entirety. Charity guides each and everyone of us to make the sacrifices we do for our family members, a child in sorrow, the person we see on the street, or any other countless number of scenarios. Charity is what is shared with me when people sorrow for my past and sorrows.
With that being said I have commented to my friends that I am extremely grateful for the trials and struggles I have gone through. These struggles and trials I have faced in my past impact me and my life. However on a bigger scale similar struggles and trials impact countless others, many of which have buried them deep and do not believe they are worth caring for or even desire to end it all. They do not know that loving arms await them around the corner, and that their lives can be so much better. There are children going through similar things as the things I faced. There are young boys and girls that truly believe they are the cause of family problems and struggles. There are adults that have buried the hurts of a life full of pain far away so they do not have to face the pain. Some of these become the next abusers, because this is how they learned to deal with the feelings they face, some become depressed and withdraw from the world. Others stand and fight, some lose their lives in the attempt. Others become strong advocates of truth and right.
I will now write from the perspective of a population as I continue my thoughts:
We never know how the struggles of the past will affect those around us. And so we make the choices for ourselves based on our struggles. How do I deal with the monsters of the past, how do I cope, how do I make the most of a hard situation. Each individual faces these questions.
All of us deal with these choices, whether we face the burdens of abuse and hunger, or whether we face the trials of pride and the other cares of the world. We may face the temptation of having great wealth or poverty. Both have their trials and every place in between faces the trial of looking up or looking down and determining how to choose to see the world around them. Do we seek after the wealth and supposed power money brings... Do we seek after the humility and struggles poverty brings...
Money is only a single facet of the things of the past and future, but each trial, each success or failure can be viewed through a similar lens.
My past has taught me many things. The greatest of these is Charity. I have learned to seek after the good, and to discard the bad, and the burdensome. To seek the Lord daily... Sometimes all the day long, when things are rough... I have learned that almost always people are good. People are doing the best they can in the situations they are in.
This view allows me to make the world a better place. It allows me to see the pains of a hard past, but also the joys of a wonderful past in the things I have faced. To be fair with myself and others, to look at the world with eyes that can see through the spirit and not through my interpretation of what may or may not be going on, but to seek for what is really going on, and with that knowledge, comes the true power.
When truth is seen change can begin. With change comes hope, fulfillment, joy, and eventually eternal life.
I glory in the things of my past. Not because they are good, but because they allowed me to become good. Not because they were easy, but because they allowed me to grow. Not because they dragged me through the dirt, but because they allowed me to learn to fly.
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