Thursday, April 18, 2013

Personal Renovation

With the bombing of the Boston Marathon and the explosion and fire at the fertilizer plant which has devastated our neighbors in West, the news is full of suffering people. When these types of events happen, as with the trials that crop up in our own lives it is natural to ask the question "why?" Why are we called to suffer as a nation, as families, as individuals? How can a God who loves us infinitely put us through all of this? Why? Why...
"I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love" (2 Nephi 1:15)

Over the years as I have searched for the full answer I came across several messages that have instructed and comforted me. I share them with you.

C.S. Lewis: 
“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace.  He intends to come and live in it Himself."
"The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in the Bible) that we were 'gods' and He is going to make good His words. If we let Him—for we can prevent Him, if we choose—He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course, on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful; but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what He said."

Orson F. Whitney:
“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father”
 In all of this, let us not forget that we do not walk alone in our personal renovation. 
“He knows of our anguish, and He is there for us. Like the Good Samaritan in His parable, when He finds us wounded at the wayside, He binds up our wounds and cares for us (see Luke 10:34). Brothers and sisters, the healing power of His Atonement is for you, for us, for all.”
“Lucifer whispers that life’s not fair and that if the gospel were true, we would never have problems or disappointments. … The gospel isn’t a guarantee against tribulation. That would be like a test with no questions. Rather, the gospel is a guide for maneuvering through the challenges of life with a sense of purpose and direction.”
Comfort, perspective, and peace are found through our Savior Jesus Christ. The One who loves us perfectly and has suffered what we suffer. As we follow Him and allow our trials to transform us into what He knows we can become I know that He smiles and "encircles us in the arms of His love."

Prayers today for all those who suffer.

Cheers,

Brenda 

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