January 14, 2015
A nice reminder: if you want to develop the attribute of patience and charity, prepare yourselves. Because when you make the request to God that He help you be more meek or humble or patient, what have you, He will make it happen through trials. I have been striving throughout my entire mision to develop and have those beautiful attributes of patience and humility. I have lost count how many prayers I have made to God asking for His help in guiding me to do so. And I am now receiving the trials. And the trials are great. They are nothing too major and I am able to support them and suffer with joy. But I have found that they are a bit more advanced than other trials I have faced. Maybe not drastic or life-threatening or -changing, but I have noticed some fairly large changes in my character in this past week alone through these trials. And all thanks to those many prayers. Be careful what you desire, my friends, is all I suggest.
We have spent the last week in the house. We have both been confined. Because the doctor didn't know exactly what she has, he forbid us to do divisiones with the hermanas in the ward or our leaders to prevent getting others infected. He was wise for doing so, but I nearly died. It being my last weeks in my mision, you can imagine that I didn't enjoy sitting around and doing nothing for hours and days without end. I studied every book I found in the house, I saw every movie we have permiso to see and I drew a bit as well. I even, surprise, cleaned the house on my own. Deep clean, my friend. I had lots of time. I have learned loads about myself, about my comp and my Father in Heaven that I don't think I would have without this down time. My comp and I became closer and learned to get along. I believe that that really was the purpose of such a sickness at this time. The Lord knew we weren't getting along as well as our potential relationship, so He confined us together to force us to get together and really talk. It worked. I am not saying we are or ever will be best friends forever, but I am proud to call her friend. We have our differences in opinion, character, view, moods and many other things, but we have learned more, together.
I have (I apologize you have to read yet another testimony session, but I have nothing else to say. So grin and bear it, all right?) come to the understanding of God's beautiful plan for us. I have come to the realization of the reality and depth of His wisdom and infiniteness. He really does understand and know us, each and every one, and that is why He sent us here. Lots of times people think that God sent us here to suffer. I agree to disagree with this perspective. We suffer in life. It is true. There are things that happen that we don't fully understand with our finite and mortal minds. Death, poverty, destruction, whathaveyou. But we were not sent her to suffer, rather to learn to rejoice while suffering. We are here in this time on the earth to learn to become like God. To really come to an understanding of His role in our lives and to become a disciple of His Son. But how could that happen if everything was happy-go-lucky and nobody knew suffering or affliction? If there didn't exist misery or deception or miscommunication? Really, we wouldn't exist. Because we know there is an order to all things. I like how Lehi puts it in 2 Nefi 2: 11-13
'porque es preciso que haya una oposición en todas las cosas. Pues de otro modo, mi primer hijo nacido en el desierto, no se podría llevar a efecto la rectitud ni la iniquidad, ni tampoco la santidad ni la miseria, ni el bien ni el mal. De modo que todas las cosas necesariamente serían un solo conjunto; por tanto, si fuese un solo cuerpo, habría de permanecer como muerto, no teniendo ni vida ni muerte, ni corrupción ni incorrupción, ni felicidad ni miseria, ni sensibilidad ni insensibilidad. Por lo tanto, tendría que haber sido creado en vano; de modo que no habría habido ningún objeto en su creación. Esto, pues, habría destruido la sabiduría de Dios y sus eternos designios, y también el poder, y la misericordia, y la justicia de Dios. Y si decís que no hay ley, decís también que no hay pecado. Si decís que no hay pecado, decís también que no hay rectitud. Y si no hay rectitud, no hay felicidad. Y si no hay rectitud ni felicidad, tampoco hay castigo ni miseria. Y si estas cosas no existen, Dios noexiste. Y si no hay Dios, nosotros no existimos, ni la tierra; porque no habría habido creación de cosas, ni para actuar ni para que se actúe sobre ellas; por consiguiente, todo se habría desvanecido.'
[For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.
And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.]
Really this is the main point of what I wanted to talk about. Life isn't perfect because if it were it wouldn't be. Does that make sense? If there weren't opposition in all things, where would we find hope or faith? I have come to adore the prophets for their everlasting examples and testimonies. I hope to one day thank them for all the sacrifices they have made so that we may have these sacred tender mercies.
I hope that next week I will have some stories to tell you. It will be my last letter in the mision field, so I will enjoy this morsel of heaven that is left to me. I hope you have an excellent week full of happiness and trials and joy and understanding and lightbulb moments. I will intent to as well B)
No comments:
Post a Comment