Hello, Friends and Visitors,
Normally I would be posting a weekly menu plan with links for you today. However, my heart is still full from a lesson we had at church yesterday. So much so, that I've decided to share some of it with you here...
Yesterday, I was asked to read a quote for a lesson on the purpose of adversity in our lives. As soon as I read this quote to myself, I knew that the Lord was speaking to me directly. Following is the section that I was asked to read aloud to the class and a few of my own thoughts on the subject:
"God uses another form of chastening or correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us. President Hugh B. Brown, formerly a member of the Twelve and a counselor in the First Presidency, provided a personal experience. He told of purchasing a rundown farm in Canada many years ago. As he went about cleaning up and repairing his property, he came across a currant bush that had grown over six feet (1.8 m) high and was yielding no berries, so he pruned it back drastically, leaving only small stumps. Then he saw a drop like a tear on the top of each of these little stumps, as if the currant bush were crying, and thought he heard it say:
'How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.'
President Brown replied, 'Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’
Years later, President Brown was a field officer in the Canadian Army serving in England. When a superior officer became a battle casualty, President Brown was in line to be promoted to general, and he was summoned to London. But even though he was fully qualified for the promotion, it was denied him because he was a Mormon. The commanding general said in essence, “You deserve the appointment, but I cannot give it to you.” What President Brown had spent 10 years hoping, praying, and preparing for slipped through his fingers in that moment because of blatant discrimination. Continuing his story, President Brown remembered:
'I got on the train and started back … with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. … When I got to my tent, … I threw my cap on the cot. I clenched my fists, and I shook them at heaven. I said, ‘How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?’ I was as bitter as gall.
'And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, ‘I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.’ The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness. …
“… And now, almost 50 years later, I look up to [God] and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.’”5
God knew what Hugh B. Brown was to become and what was needed for that to happen, and He redirected his course to prepare him for [future church leadership work].
* * *
I don't believe that there is one person on this earth who will not have the experience of watching a dream or well laid plan fall completely apart. This may involve a marriage, children, career, health or, as with Job, everything all at once. These situations bring us to a crisis in faith where we may begin to ask how a loving God could allow these things to happen to us. When we have only sought to do what is right, how could our actions be met with heartbreaking disappointments and crushing defeats? Does He not love us? Are we abandoned? Does He not care how we feel?
I have asked myself all of these questions at one time or another. I realize now that it was because I didn't fully understand a spiritual truth that is of extreme importance - that the Lord's Plan of Happiness (eternal happiness) for His children requires that we suffer in this life. We are tried, tested, and chastened for the sole purpose that we may be humbled, shown our weaknesses, gain compassion and understanding and may come to fully rely on the Lord. We don't have to beat ourselves up because we seem to lack desired blessings. We aren't challenged because we are necessarily unworthy of the Lord's attention, it is because He seeks to build our character to be more like our Savior's and if Christ, being perfect, suffered in this life, how much more do we, being imperfect, require trials to school our souls?
It isn't easy to submit ourselves to the Lord's will in this life, especially when we don't have the answers to all of our questions. Although some problems we face will eventually lead us to understand the greater purpose for those problems in our lives, others will never be completely understood while we are in mortality. These unaswered questions can lead us to rely solely on the Lord and to trust that in the next life, enlightenment and understanding will go hand in hand with relief from our suffering. A childlike trust in our Maker, while not bringing us all the answers we desire, can give us peace to endure.
Peace that surpasseth our understanding.
A true understanding of this principle has greatly eased many of my burdens that I have been asked to shoulder in this life. While doing the best that I can with what I have, I no longer beat myself up or become angry at our Lord. Instead, I ask for His help that I may progress in a way that is pleasing to Him, as I fulfill my responsibilities and seek to overcome my many weaknesses.
I pray for this same peace for you as you go forward along your path in life.
Have a wonderful day!
Elizabeth
Showing posts with label Adversity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adversity. Show all posts
Monday, October 17, 2011
Monday, October 12, 2009
There I Always Something to be Grateful For
Hello, Friends!
I've spent the majority of the last few weeks flat on my back in bed with major back problems (lumbar stenosis, which may require surgery). Of course, it is never, ever convenient for a mother to be sick, but right now especially things are challenging. My son is home with a chronic illness that has him on "Home & Hospital Leave" with school and I am suppose to be his tutor..AND the husband really needs my support...AND...I have a lot to do, doggone it!
Okay, so I could whine right now, something at which I have a great deal of experience! :) But, you know, I can't help remembering another time like this when the sky was literally raining adversity all around me...
Years ago, when my dear Sarah was born (one of the MOST beautiful moments of my life), she was born at the end of a tremendously difficult pregnancy, the last four months of which I had to sleep sitting up in a chair because of the pain. The week before she was born, I stayed up all night, night after night, typing up my husband's papers for Finals. The day that ended I was abruptly put into the hospital (blood pressure), which began three grueling days of labor. Of course, once that's over, one can't go home and rest, because you return home with a tiny infant to take care of. That begins the sleepless nights of late night feedings. When Sarah was 9 weeks old, I had major surgery to repair the problem that had affected my pregnancy, which took me several months to recuperate from.
So, finally it is Christmas time, Sarah is three months old and I am finally strong enough to venture out of the house and go for a mother/daughter photo shoot at Sears. I am very weak, but we make it through everything just fine. While I am taking the elevator back down to parking, I am praying in my mind, complaining to the Lord about all of my trials and about how I don't feel equal to my tasks. Whine, whine, whine. Complain, complain, complain.
Suddenly, the elevator stops. The doors open and in comes this woman, pushing a front to back double-stroller, with a tiny baby in front, another tiny baby in back and THEN another tiny baby in a harness on her chest. Yes, this woman had TRIPLETS. And I will never forget her face. She looked like she'd had the guts kicked right out of her and was terribly exhausted. Oh, my goodness, I just wanted to hold her. Instead, I looked up at the ceiling and in my heart, I said, "Oh, THANK YOU, Heavenly Father, that I only had one baby to come home to after my surgery. Oh, thank you that right now I only have one to worry about. OH, thank you, thank you, thank you for all of my MANY blessings!"
It took about 60 seconds for me to have a whole attitude change. Why? Because the Lord showed me someone who was having an even harder time than I was, right at the moment when I was whining. What a paradigm shift.
So, When I am on the road to whining, Woe is me, things are so hard! I remember that dear woman and I remind myself that things could be so much more difficult than they are. And, the Lord gives us what we can handle, even if we can just barely handle it. :)
So, I give thanks today that for most of my life I have enjoyed good health. I have been able to do many things that I've always wanted to do and some things that I never dreamed I'd be able to do. I have had a really good run, most of the time. Now, that I am having some health problems, I am so thankful for medications for pain, and for health care and for many people who care about me and my family.
So, no whining and complaining!
Have a lovely Fall day!:)
I've spent the majority of the last few weeks flat on my back in bed with major back problems (lumbar stenosis, which may require surgery). Of course, it is never, ever convenient for a mother to be sick, but right now especially things are challenging. My son is home with a chronic illness that has him on "Home & Hospital Leave" with school and I am suppose to be his tutor..AND the husband really needs my support...AND...I have a lot to do, doggone it!
Okay, so I could whine right now, something at which I have a great deal of experience! :) But, you know, I can't help remembering another time like this when the sky was literally raining adversity all around me...
Years ago, when my dear Sarah was born (one of the MOST beautiful moments of my life), she was born at the end of a tremendously difficult pregnancy, the last four months of which I had to sleep sitting up in a chair because of the pain. The week before she was born, I stayed up all night, night after night, typing up my husband's papers for Finals. The day that ended I was abruptly put into the hospital (blood pressure), which began three grueling days of labor. Of course, once that's over, one can't go home and rest, because you return home with a tiny infant to take care of. That begins the sleepless nights of late night feedings. When Sarah was 9 weeks old, I had major surgery to repair the problem that had affected my pregnancy, which took me several months to recuperate from.
So, finally it is Christmas time, Sarah is three months old and I am finally strong enough to venture out of the house and go for a mother/daughter photo shoot at Sears. I am very weak, but we make it through everything just fine. While I am taking the elevator back down to parking, I am praying in my mind, complaining to the Lord about all of my trials and about how I don't feel equal to my tasks. Whine, whine, whine. Complain, complain, complain.
Suddenly, the elevator stops. The doors open and in comes this woman, pushing a front to back double-stroller, with a tiny baby in front, another tiny baby in back and THEN another tiny baby in a harness on her chest. Yes, this woman had TRIPLETS. And I will never forget her face. She looked like she'd had the guts kicked right out of her and was terribly exhausted. Oh, my goodness, I just wanted to hold her. Instead, I looked up at the ceiling and in my heart, I said, "Oh, THANK YOU, Heavenly Father, that I only had one baby to come home to after my surgery. Oh, thank you that right now I only have one to worry about. OH, thank you, thank you, thank you for all of my MANY blessings!"
It took about 60 seconds for me to have a whole attitude change. Why? Because the Lord showed me someone who was having an even harder time than I was, right at the moment when I was whining. What a paradigm shift.
So, When I am on the road to whining, Woe is me, things are so hard! I remember that dear woman and I remind myself that things could be so much more difficult than they are. And, the Lord gives us what we can handle, even if we can just barely handle it. :)
So, I give thanks today that for most of my life I have enjoyed good health. I have been able to do many things that I've always wanted to do and some things that I never dreamed I'd be able to do. I have had a really good run, most of the time. Now, that I am having some health problems, I am so thankful for medications for pain, and for health care and for many people who care about me and my family.
So, no whining and complaining!
Have a lovely Fall day!:)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Blessings of An Illness
Well, I am at home, nursing another UTI, thinking a lot about all the problems I've had since I was a child with this decrepit kidney of mine, looking for any life lessons this may have taught me..
I was a very healthy child in my growing up years, just the usual childhood illnesses - chicken pox, mumps, the occasional cold. Then, one day out of the blue when I was nine years old, I developed a horrible ache in my left side. It became so bad that it put me to bed. I remember that day very clearly. My sister and I had spent the morning baking cakes with my mother. It was a sort of a craft project. Mama let us each bake one cake a piece - mine was a white cake with vanilla frosting, Jeanie's was chocolate with chocolate frosting. They were just these little one-layer cakes. Then, we were allowed to invite some friends over to help us eat them. I didn't get quite that far. I remember the pain growing in my side while I was waiting for my friends to come over. I remember that everyone preferred Jeanie's cake to mine and so Mama assumed that my "side-ache" was sort of my way of getting attention. The next day I was all better.
From then on, several times a year, I would get these side-aches completely out of the blue. They were devastating and would cause me to vomit, but the next day I'd be all better. It never occurred to my parents to take me to the doctor. They assumed this was all stress-induced. I remember once, when I was 10 years old and was in the doctor's office for a regular check-up, a strong thought came to me to bring up my side-aches, but I was too shy with authority figures to speak up for myself.
The years went on...By the time I hit my mid-teens, when our family life had hit a crisis, my side-aches came every weekend and lasted several days. I remember missing so much school my mother had to write a note to explain what was happening. Still no doctor visit. Because our home life was intensely stressful, everyone believed that my side-aches had increased due to that. I remember that when my sister had a UTI and was complaining of back pain and I made the comment that I felt the same way, but my problems were attributed to my neediness. When I later moved away from home and the frequency of my side-aches subsided, I figured everyone had been right about me. I believed that side-aches were my body's way of handling stress. And so...I never saw a doctor about them.
Fast forward many years to when I was 14 weeks pregnant with Sarah, my first child. All of sudden, my left side swelled up, was sensitive to the touch, and ached. I went in to the OB about it. He took one look at my slightly swollen side, heard my complaints, and put me in the hospital. An ultrasound showed that there was a congenital obstruction to my left ureter, that was only allowing drops of fluid to pass from the kidney, which was over distended with liquid. In other words, my side-aches were not "all in my head". I was sick. The docs rigged me up to get through my pregnancy successfully, for which I am thankful.
Two surgeries later, I have 40% function on my left side and, though I am (thankfully) no longer plagued by mysterious side-aches, I do routinely endure UTIs.
What have a learned from all of this? I realize that I have developed some patience through suffering. All those high school days when I was, literally, writhing alone in my room in pain, listening to music on the radio to try and get my mind off of it, I learned to sort go inside my mind to some place pleasant while unpleasant things are happening to me. I learned some endurance. I also more greatly appreciate the days when the sun is shining, the birds are singing and I feel healthy. What a miracle that all feels to me..to feel WELL.
I know that many of you deal with your own health issues...What have you learned from them? How have they schooled your souls? I'd love to hear from you.
Blessings,
Elizabeth
I was a very healthy child in my growing up years, just the usual childhood illnesses - chicken pox, mumps, the occasional cold. Then, one day out of the blue when I was nine years old, I developed a horrible ache in my left side. It became so bad that it put me to bed. I remember that day very clearly. My sister and I had spent the morning baking cakes with my mother. It was a sort of a craft project. Mama let us each bake one cake a piece - mine was a white cake with vanilla frosting, Jeanie's was chocolate with chocolate frosting. They were just these little one-layer cakes. Then, we were allowed to invite some friends over to help us eat them. I didn't get quite that far. I remember the pain growing in my side while I was waiting for my friends to come over. I remember that everyone preferred Jeanie's cake to mine and so Mama assumed that my "side-ache" was sort of my way of getting attention. The next day I was all better.
From then on, several times a year, I would get these side-aches completely out of the blue. They were devastating and would cause me to vomit, but the next day I'd be all better. It never occurred to my parents to take me to the doctor. They assumed this was all stress-induced. I remember once, when I was 10 years old and was in the doctor's office for a regular check-up, a strong thought came to me to bring up my side-aches, but I was too shy with authority figures to speak up for myself.
The years went on...By the time I hit my mid-teens, when our family life had hit a crisis, my side-aches came every weekend and lasted several days. I remember missing so much school my mother had to write a note to explain what was happening. Still no doctor visit. Because our home life was intensely stressful, everyone believed that my side-aches had increased due to that. I remember that when my sister had a UTI and was complaining of back pain and I made the comment that I felt the same way, but my problems were attributed to my neediness. When I later moved away from home and the frequency of my side-aches subsided, I figured everyone had been right about me. I believed that side-aches were my body's way of handling stress. And so...I never saw a doctor about them.
Fast forward many years to when I was 14 weeks pregnant with Sarah, my first child. All of sudden, my left side swelled up, was sensitive to the touch, and ached. I went in to the OB about it. He took one look at my slightly swollen side, heard my complaints, and put me in the hospital. An ultrasound showed that there was a congenital obstruction to my left ureter, that was only allowing drops of fluid to pass from the kidney, which was over distended with liquid. In other words, my side-aches were not "all in my head". I was sick. The docs rigged me up to get through my pregnancy successfully, for which I am thankful.
Two surgeries later, I have 40% function on my left side and, though I am (thankfully) no longer plagued by mysterious side-aches, I do routinely endure UTIs.
What have a learned from all of this? I realize that I have developed some patience through suffering. All those high school days when I was, literally, writhing alone in my room in pain, listening to music on the radio to try and get my mind off of it, I learned to sort go inside my mind to some place pleasant while unpleasant things are happening to me. I learned some endurance. I also more greatly appreciate the days when the sun is shining, the birds are singing and I feel healthy. What a miracle that all feels to me..to feel WELL.
I know that many of you deal with your own health issues...What have you learned from them? How have they schooled your souls? I'd love to hear from you.
Blessings,
Elizabeth
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
A Blessing in Disguise
Yesterday, my husband called me from the road with the news that he had just been laid off from his job as salesman for a home automation company. This company makes its money from new home construction or the renovation of existing homes, both of which have practically ground to a halt here. Times are very tough and they are tightening their belt, so to speak.
...I consider this a blessing.
Several months ago, my husband was switched from salary to straight commission and, of course, most of his impending sales went dead in the water, as the economy worsened. We have been living on fumes. However, now my husband can pull in unemployment benefits, while taking the time to look for a good job. Our budget will be tight, but we can do it.
I always believe, and I know I may sound like a Pollyanna, that when the Lord closes a door, somewhere else he opens a window. In fact, I've been memorizing a scripture that says this:
"We know all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)
So, there we have it from the Big Guy. He didn't say that "some things work together for the good", but "all things" do.
In the past, when I was working, I suffered both a lay-off and also one circumstance where my boss didn't really like me too much and sought to fire me. In the first instance, I had faith that the Lord would somehow bless me, despite a somewhat depressed job market in LA, to find just the right job so that I could still save money for my upcoming wedding. The job that I finally did get was about the best possible scenario I could have ever hoped for. In the second instance, I became medically disabled with a pregnancy and my boss had to pay me disability until after the baby was born, at which time I no longer worked out of the home. Likewise, I know that somehow this course of events will bless our lives, despite my husband's specialized field of knowledge and the worsening economy, as long as we keep our minds and hearts open to the Lord's promptings.
So, despite the "bad" news, both my husband and I are at peace and hopeful for the future.
If you wouldn't mind remembering us in your prayers, I would deeply appreciate it. I will keep you informed as to what is happening.
Love,
Elizabeth
...I consider this a blessing.
Several months ago, my husband was switched from salary to straight commission and, of course, most of his impending sales went dead in the water, as the economy worsened. We have been living on fumes. However, now my husband can pull in unemployment benefits, while taking the time to look for a good job. Our budget will be tight, but we can do it.
I always believe, and I know I may sound like a Pollyanna, that when the Lord closes a door, somewhere else he opens a window. In fact, I've been memorizing a scripture that says this:
"We know all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)
So, there we have it from the Big Guy. He didn't say that "some things work together for the good", but "all things" do.
In the past, when I was working, I suffered both a lay-off and also one circumstance where my boss didn't really like me too much and sought to fire me. In the first instance, I had faith that the Lord would somehow bless me, despite a somewhat depressed job market in LA, to find just the right job so that I could still save money for my upcoming wedding. The job that I finally did get was about the best possible scenario I could have ever hoped for. In the second instance, I became medically disabled with a pregnancy and my boss had to pay me disability until after the baby was born, at which time I no longer worked out of the home. Likewise, I know that somehow this course of events will bless our lives, despite my husband's specialized field of knowledge and the worsening economy, as long as we keep our minds and hearts open to the Lord's promptings.
So, despite the "bad" news, both my husband and I are at peace and hopeful for the future.
If you wouldn't mind remembering us in your prayers, I would deeply appreciate it. I will keep you informed as to what is happening.
Love,
Elizabeth
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Life is Like a Game of Golf
This past Father's Day, as usual, I let my husband choose what he'd like to do. I figured that his plans would include a good meal and a long nap, so I was not a little surprised when he wanted to watch the U.S Open Golf Tournament.
We never watch golf. Ever. Plus, we usually keep the TV off on Sundays. Besides, to be perfectly honest, I've always thought that watching competitive golf was a little bit like watching competitive sleeping. For someone like me who prefers football and basketball, golf always seems, well, boring. So, imagine how surprised I was to find that, once I got to know the game a little, it was actually quite engrossing.
For those of you who do not follow professional golf, this competition featured, among many other players, the great Tiger Woods. However, it became quite apparent from the outset that Tiger was not on his game. He was suffering pain from a recent operation to repair a torn ligament in his right knee. Days later, we would find out that he also had two stress fractures in that same leg and had been advised by his doctor not to play. Every time that Tiger Woods swung his club, he had to torque his right knee, re-injuring himself. The pain was so great that he would grimace and, at times, audibly cry out. No wonder Tiger began the game several strokes over par.
For those of you who do not follow professional golf, this competition featured, among many other players, the great Tiger Woods. However, it became quite apparent from the outset that Tiger was not on his game. He was suffering pain from a recent operation to repair a torn ligament in his right knee. Days later, we would find out that he also had two stress fractures in that same leg and had been advised by his doctor not to play. Every time that Tiger Woods swung his club, he had to torque his right knee, re-injuring himself. The pain was so great that he would grimace and, at times, audibly cry out. No wonder Tiger began the game several strokes over par.
My husband wanted to stop watching the tournament right then and there, because he felt that Tiger would never be able to make it through all 18 holes without his game falling apart and Mark can't stand to see that sort of thing happen. But by then, I was hooked and convinced him to wait and see. I'm glad we did.
Watching Tiger Woods slowly gain ground over the course of the game, while enduring both physical pain and the frustration of getting off some uncharacteristically poor shots, was significant. Most people would have become completely demoralized by what he was going through, but he kept plugging along, concentrating on each shot. It wasn't long into this game that I began watching it with two sets of eyes: one towards the game of golf and the other towards the game of life. I couldn't help thinking, as I watched Tiger Woods struggle, how we all have experiences that seem tougher than we are. When people wouldn't blame us for giving up and walking off the course. Sometimes, in look far ahead and taking in all in that is in front of us, we can become so overwhelmed by it that we want to throw in the towel.
"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," Christ said. It is enough to focus on the problems of the day, without swallowing whole everything that lies ahead. In effect, we should take life one "hole" at a time.
Tiger Woods ended up tying for First Place with Rocco Mediate. He won the next day's playoff during a dead heat. He played, in total, 91 holes of golf over the four day tournament, meaning that he torqued his painful right knee at least 300 times in order to win. Due to his injuries, the U.S. Open was not the best game of golf he ever played, but he is saying now that it was his most important accomplishment. I agree.
I was deeply moved by Tiger Wood's persistence and determination, his belief in himself and his refusal to give up. It has inspired me to take my life one step at a time, to focus on what's right in front of me, to always try to do my best, and to never, ever give up!
Love,
Elizabeth
Watching Tiger Woods slowly gain ground over the course of the game, while enduring both physical pain and the frustration of getting off some uncharacteristically poor shots, was significant. Most people would have become completely demoralized by what he was going through, but he kept plugging along, concentrating on each shot. It wasn't long into this game that I began watching it with two sets of eyes: one towards the game of golf and the other towards the game of life. I couldn't help thinking, as I watched Tiger Woods struggle, how we all have experiences that seem tougher than we are. When people wouldn't blame us for giving up and walking off the course. Sometimes, in look far ahead and taking in all in that is in front of us, we can become so overwhelmed by it that we want to throw in the towel.
"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof," Christ said. It is enough to focus on the problems of the day, without swallowing whole everything that lies ahead. In effect, we should take life one "hole" at a time.
Tiger Woods ended up tying for First Place with Rocco Mediate. He won the next day's playoff during a dead heat. He played, in total, 91 holes of golf over the four day tournament, meaning that he torqued his painful right knee at least 300 times in order to win. Due to his injuries, the U.S. Open was not the best game of golf he ever played, but he is saying now that it was his most important accomplishment. I agree.
I was deeply moved by Tiger Wood's persistence and determination, his belief in himself and his refusal to give up. It has inspired me to take my life one step at a time, to focus on what's right in front of me, to always try to do my best, and to never, ever give up!
Love,
Elizabeth
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