Yesterday didn't prove to be all that much better than the day before. Maybe it was because I was running on no sleep. I finally fell asleep the night before at about 2:30 am but Joshua woke me up at 5:30 am so three hours just wasn't cutting it.
Turns out that the loud noise coming from my car was due to the fact that some thug stole (sawed it clean off) my cat. converter from under the car. It was broad daylight. Mean people are not very nice (I guess that's why they're mean). To replace it, we owe the mechanic almost a thousand dollars. There is a ray of hope, however. My in laws forgot to take us off of their insurance when we bought the car off of them and they have insurance that will cover some of the expense. We'll owe $500 if it all goes well, and the the insurance company will pay the remaining fees. So, I guess it could be worse.
Since moving out here, we've really been pounded with trial after trial. It's to the point now where it's almost comical. A word of advice for those of you out there who may decide to one day pray for patience. You're pretty stupid. You know how the Lord teaches you patience... he gives you trials. I'm kidding, praying for patience is a good thing... I guess. Most of our trials have hit us financially, others physically. Some have resolved, some are on-going, others are annoying, and a few have just been a little inconvenient (For Pete's sake, it shouldn't take me almost three months to get the car registered... Ohio, to you I say get your act together). I keep asking myself what is the lesson I am supposed to be learning from all of this. There's got to be a lesson I am missing, or it all wouldn't be happening. I think maybe sometimes the lesson is patience, other times it's empathy, sometimes the lesson is to teach us humility to draw upon the powers of heaven, and sometimes bad things just happen because we were sent here to be tested and tried.
I read a passage about the trials Joseph Smith faced in his life time. I know I have not had to suffer such depths as he (thankfully), but one thing he said really caused me to put all of this into perspective. He said when speaking about afflictions, "they have been my common lot all the days of my life; ... and I feel like Paul, to glory in tribulation" (D&C 127:2).
Harold B. Lee is quoted in this same talk, "living the gospel of Jesus Christ is no guarantee that adversity will not come into our lives; but living the gospel does give us the strength and faith and power to rise above that adversity and look beyond the present trouble to the brighter day."
I came to the conclusion that it isn't so bad. Is it difficult at times? Yes, it certainly is. Is it the end of the world? No, definitely not. I have my family around me (while I do miss all of my extended family out there) for support and love. And, really, that's all that really matters anyway. So, I guess the point to all of this is, we will overcome these difficult times, we will do it together, we will be strengthened in the process, and we will come out on top. Bad things happen to good people, but for the most part, life is very good. And, yes, at least the toilet didn't overflow... at least not yet... I'd better run and check just to make sure...
2 comments:
Oh it is so true. It feels like when it rains, it pours with trials. We were having a bunch of financial trials a while back so we fasted for help. The week after our fast, we were hit with about $2000 worth of more financial burdens. When I asked Rob what he thought about the fact that we fasted and then got more trials thrown at us he said he was glad we had fasted because then we had the strength to get through them all. I guess sometimes there isn't an easy way out, but luckily it passed and hind sight, it did make me more patient.
Sheesh! In times like that, I just have to ask myself what am I supposed to be learning, cuz obviously I'm just not getting it! J/K - trials are there to make us stronger! It's just not very fun to go through that refiner's fire. But that is so true, you do have to be very careful what you pray for. I hope it gets better soon.
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