last night i went out with the sister missionaries to teach jeff, who recently joined the church. i had not been out with the missionaries since i was myself a missionary, so it was about time. as they say.
the topic of discussion was the plan of salvation. the plan of happiness. god's plan for us.
the plan whereby we left the safe bosom of heavenly parents, gained bodies and came to earth. earth where we would learn and grow through trial, triumph, hardship, sin, repenting, overcoming, failure and success. learn and grow so we can become more like god and return to live with him some day.
the plan of salvation promises us ultimate happiness. but to get there, we have to do and experience things that are hard.
and last night i wondered. why?
why, sometimes, does it have to be so hard?
because without the bitter we cannot know the sweet? without falling down we cannot know the joy of getting up again?
yes. yes, i think that is part of it. but that is not always a great comfort in the thick of adversity.
and then, i thought of something else.
maybe it doesn't have to be that hard after all.
i think the only reason a loving heavenly father could send us away from him to learn and grow and experience on our own was because he had the power to make our journey easy, and our burdens light. we just have to ask, trust, believe. leap.
easy does not mean simple. and easy does not mean that we will not struggle, face challenges. fall down. but i was reminded last night that i believe in a loving god who wants us to succeed, who is ready, willing, and able to make our way as easy as he possibly can.
easy means that we do not fight our battles alone.
and that means it doesn't always have to be so hard.
that is my salvation, and my happiness.
that, my friends, is a plan i can stick to.
1 comment:
I am happy, and I know it, Frances. The Plan of Happiness is a great one indeed. It's almost divine, if I may say so myself.
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