April 20, 2020

Hello family!

This week has been a doozie. It started out really rough, but that doesn't matter too much. On Saturday I finally got my wish and was released as an Assistant. President still wanted me to be a Zone Leader so I came out to Sugar City to be a ZL here. Sugar City is really close to Rexburg. My new companions name is Elder Slade and he is awesome! He loves Brandon Sanderson and is super diligent and a great teacher! I've got to teach 9 lessons in the last 2 days!! Things are going a lot better. 

 

Honestly, there isn't too much else to report on, so I'll just share something I was thinking about this week. I heard a talk once, where the speaker was talking about trials. They said, "The only difference between a stepping stone and a stumbling block is how high you lift your foot." That single line has stuck with me so much since then. I think that oftentimes in our lives we view our trials as stumbling blocks. They are barriers in the way of our path. They're a nuisance that takes time, and effort to get rid of. But that's the wrong way of looking at it. In reality, yes, our trials take time and take effort to get over. But don't use that time and that effort to drag the stone off to the side and keep walking. That's the wrong way to go about it. Whenever trials come around don't whine and mope and talk about or even think about how horrible your life is. That's dragging the stone to the side. 

 

Instead, lift your foot a little higher and turn that trial into a stepping stone. Use your energy, your effort, and your time into pushing a little harder. Climbing a little higher towards God. Look at your trials as the blessings they are. I know it's hard, trust me, I know. But as we view life optimistically, and as we make a conscious effort to do God's will, we progress. We are turning the stumbling blocks into stepping stones. And that's exactly what God wants us to do. That's why He gave us the trial in the first place. That's why He put the stone there. He wants to see us rise. 

One of my favorite quotes goes something along the lines of, "lengthen your stride, widen your vision, heighten your reach, stretch your capacity. Or in other words, expect a miracle. For these are the stuff of which miracles are made." I love that. To know our limits we have to test them. And if we want to improve them, then we should dang well expect to fall a few times first. If we want to stretch our capacity, we need to know how far it currently stretches. Push yourself. And watch the Lord work wonders in your life. Isn't that what he's saying? Miracles are made of trials. Our faults will bring us closer to God than our successes if we'll let them. If we'll turn them into those stepping stones. 

What in your life right now seems hard? What in your life right now seems unfair? Or saddening? But more importantly, what can you do to turn those stumbling blocks into stepping stones? What can you do to change your attitude or to increase your faith. 

 

I promise God lives. I promise He leads and guides His church. This church and this Gospel gives us a clear direction. A path. But the path is narrow and the way is straight. And it's filled with stones all along the way. A straight incline up to our Father. Back to our Savior. Are you willing to make the climb? 

 

I love each of you and pray for you every day. I hope that you can each find joy and peace in your daily lives. And I promise that the joy and peace we all are looking for comes from the Gospel. 

-Elder Trezise