An Early Morning Lesson

Even though I was tired, I got out of bed at 4:30 am and decided to read.

I grabbed a book that I don’t usually read and found this inspiring quote that is helping me process these past hard months and look forward with faith and hope.

Marta Speidel penned this during WW II, but her words felt as if she were describing my last two months.  She  went through darker and more dramatic trials than I or my family ever have and for a much longer duration. Nonetheless, her words comforted and strengthened me this morning.

“The past five years have been difficult ones, and we have become very humble.  Our trust in the Lord and our testimony of his church have been our pillar of strength.  He has kept us mercifully, and although there was much to suffer, he has given to us a measure of his strength.  Some of us have lost all our earthly possessions, every tangible thing ever dear to us, and when we say ‘It is better to walk with God in the darkness than without Him in the light,‘ we know where of we speak…with joy we sing the songs of Zion and put our trust in the Lord.  He maketh all things well.”  (Marta Speidel, “Daughters in My Kingdom”, p 76)

How true are her words as she acknowledges God in giving her “a measure of his strength”, and by putting her “trust in the Lord”, “He maketh all things well.”  During our long and dark days, God will always be there for us.  He has promised to never leave us. The problem is, we leave Him. Sometimes because our trials are heavy and stressful, we lose our faith and hope in Him as we are in the heat of the struggle. We become tired, exhausted, and it seems easier to just drift farther away into despair and fear then to paddle with all we have towards faith and hope.

This scripture has also reminded me to keep my faith in the Lord and to trust Him to help me stay the course.

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; For I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”  (Isaiah 41:10)

And to end, I just found this quote by George Q. Cannon as I was searching my journal. This needs to be emboldened on my bathroom mirror so I can see it EVERY single day to remind me that “fiery” trials will not consume me as I trust in God. Any struggle will be for my good and purify the “natural man” in me that I  stubbornly cling to.

“No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character. He is an unchangeable being; the same yesterday, the same today, and He will be the same throughout the eternal ages to come. We have found that God. We have made Him our friend, by obeying His Gospel; and He will stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments”. (“Remarks,” Deseret Evening News, Mar. 7, 1891, 4; see also Jeffrey R. Holland, “Come unto Me,” Ensign, Apr. 1998, 16–23)

Portrait of Christ–Carl Bloch