Do-Overs

"Detours on the path add new dimensions to the experience, but some roads are better left untraveled.
Of course, in the end, the journey is as important as the destination." Quote from The Journey

I have been asked so many times if I would change anything in my life if I could go back - if I could avoid all

the pain inflicted, and all the poor choices that came afterward, and still wind up where I am now, would I change it. Once upon a time I thought I would. But avoiding the pain would have been missing out on the acquisition of growth and strength. Going back and changing the choices is kind of a toss up; though it would take away all the lessons learned from the consequences, hindsight can be a painful thing as well.

Yet when I look back on the journey, I am awed and amazed by the Savior's love, and moved to tears to witnessed the evidence of His presence in many parts of the journey. During the darkest and bleakest times, He was always there just beyond the wall of mist and fog, holding up a lamp, waiting for me to make my way toward that light. Going back and changing the slightest thing might possibly weaken eyes that had been made stronger over the years and I might have missed seeing the light, remaining trapped in a world of darkness because I couldn't recognize the saving light being extended to me.

So would I change anything if I could go back?
Absolutely not.
The Savior mends broken things when He is allowed to, taking away the need for any do-overs.

Joy in Trials

I've learned that when we go through trials and dark times, we aren't meant to stay in them, neither do we make ourselves comfortable and allow the times to drag us lower. We look to the Lord's light and let that light guide us through. It is so easy to give in to the temptation to stay down in our misery, but that isn't what God wants for us. As one of our church leaders reiterated today, the Lord wants us to find joy in our trials and tribulations. And the best way to find that joy is by looking outside ourselves and our trials and serving others.
Many times when I have a down day, I bake and take a treat to a neighbor. Believe me, it does help to lift my spirit. (And neighbors, please don't start hoping I have more down days just so your chances of getting a treat increase:-))

The Lord wants us to have joy, and He is there to help us have joy. He won't remove our burdens, but He will make them light.. There is joy in that knowledge alone.

Merging Our Plans With God's

We all make plans for our life. We carry an idea about how we want - and expect - it to go.

But God has a plan for our life as well, and most of the time, He wants something completely different for us than we want for ourselves. Some of us relentlessly pursue certain things and move heaven and earth to see those things come to pass. Sometimes we are successful, sometimes not, and when we are not successful, some of us sacrifice things that really aren't meant to be sacrificed, allowing human nature to drive us to cash in everything for that particular want, when it is not God's will that we have it.
I know from experience that sometimes, when what we are striving to acquire does not come to pass, it is because God has something better in mind. We might not think His plan is better at the time, but later on when that time has passed, if our hearts are open, we do eventually see that His plan was a thousand times better that ours.
So instead of  relentlessly going after what we want, we should find out what God wants for us. Many times God will allow us to acquire our major wants because He knows the outcome and how it will affect us; that is called a consequential learning experience. Many times our desires are in agreement with God's because they are righteous desires and He really wants us to have what we seek. But even when they aren't, I find it better to change the course- even if it means doing a 180 - and walk along the path He has for us. I promise you that if you do this, God will always make it worth it, and whether we see the fruits of our course-correction in this life or the next, it is all the same.

Grocery Store Counseling

This week I read about a neat experience Jonathan Cahn had. He said around midnight, he was walking into the grocery store, and as he was passing by a pay phone, it rang. He figured he had nothing to lose, so he answered it.

"Hello."
"Is this the counseling center?" the caller asked.
 He replied, "No, this is Jonathan, but maybe I can help."
The person started sharing their trouble with Jonathan and he was able to share the Lord's message by counseling the person to trust in the Savior. It was an amazing example of making the most of every opportunity. Jonathan said when we're busy doing our own thing, we should be looking for opportunities to do the Lord's thing - to be about His business.
I know from experience that if we look for opportunities to do the Lord's work, we will definitely find them, because He will lead you to those opportunities. I get them every day, and though some can be a little trying at times, I'm so happy to help when and where I can.
May we all look out for opportunities to help one another, and God will always bless us with divine appointments to keep and chances to be His hands.

Strength

We are so much stronger than we think we are. We simply need to remember that we don't need to carry our burdens alone, because we are never alone. Someone else has already paid the price to carry them for us. What a glorious gift that is!

I will never cease in my gratitude for the Savior's atoning gift, and I will forever accept it gladly. I can't shoulder my burdens or face trials and tribulations alone, and I don't want to.
None of us are meant to.