August 10, 2020
This week was pretty normal as far as my weeks go.
Stuck inside, with a few lessons everyday to breathe some fresh air. I'm
doing good though. I had a lot of time to study this week though and
that was awesome. And I had a lot of time to just think, which was nice.
I was able to listen to a great talk by President Monson, in which he
says, "There have been continuing signs that circumstances in
the world aren’t necessarily as we would wish. The global economy,
which six months ago appeared to be sagging, seems to have taken a
nosedive, and for many weeks now the financial outlook has been somewhat
grim. In addition, the moral footings of society continue to slip,
while those who attempt to safeguard those footings are often ridiculed
and, at times, picketed and persecuted. Wars, natural disasters, and
personal misfortunes continue to occur.
It
would be easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future—or
even fearful of what might come—if we allowed ourselves to dwell only
on that which is wrong in the world and in our lives. Today, however,
I’d like us to turn our thoughts and our attitudes away from the
troubles around us and to focus instead on our blessings as members of
the Church. The Apostle Paul declared, “God hath not given us the spirit
of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
None
of us makes it through this life without problems and challenges—and
sometimes tragedies and misfortunes. After all, in large part we are
here to learn and grow from such events in our lives. We know that there
are times when we will suffer, when we will grieve, and when we will be
saddened. However, we are told, “Adam fell that men might be; and men
are, that they might have joy.”
How
might we have joy in our lives, despite all that we may face? Again
from the scriptures: “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I
the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”
These few
paragraphs have really helped me out this week as I've been able to take
a step back and view my problems and my trials as learning experiences.
Certainly life is not ideal right now. I would much rather be out and
about, doing the missionary work I enjoy doing, but I can't. And because
I can't isn't a reason to hang my head low and mope. The Lord is with
us. He is active in our daily lives, watching over us. He is helping us
even when we don't realize it, and will always continue to help us. He
loves us. I've come to learn that it's okay to not be okay. It's okay to
struggle. But ultimately, we need to learn, grow, and move on. Men are
that they might have joy right? That's the point. So instead of focusing
on all the trials going on in my life, I've decided to focus on the
future. I have a lot to look forward to from here on out, and as much as
I've loved my mission, as much as I've grown, this has been a stepping
stone. A point where I can base the rest of my life off of.
So
when trials come your way, when life gets hard, don't focus on the bad.
On the troubles and afflictions. Focus on the good. And if you can't
see the good, focus on the future. Imagine it being good. We embody our
thoughts. When we constantly dwell on the negative, we become negative.
And the same is true for the positive. So try to remain positive, even
when it's hard. Especially when it's hard.
I love you all and will see you soon!
-Elder Trezise
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