Friday, January 17, 2014

Day 17, January 17


Last week, our bishop bore his testimony.  In his remarks, he talked about being grateful for his struggles and how they have blessed his life.  We know that we are suppposed to take joy in our struggles, but I "struggle" to do so.

I struggle to find joy in physical ailments.  More, I struggle to find joy in watching loved ones go through hard times.  Each time my sister cries, I cry.  Each time a child or friend cries, I cry.  How can I find joy in that?

The bishop explained that when he was twelve-years-old, he suffered from a disease that left his knee weak. Over the years, it has further deterioriated.  Yet he has been able to go on, to appreciate his doctor's counsel that he should maintain a healthy weight, because extra weight would only aggravate his knee further.  What a wise man, to heed the counsel, and, at the same time, be grateful for his struggles.  (Maybe that's why he's bishop.)

Joy for the day:  (trying to) find joy in struggles.

6 comments:

  1. I think those who can find joy in their struggles are true heroes and those that our Father in Heaven is very proud of.

    I am not one of those people, however. Sometimes, I am able to look back on a situation and understand why the struggle happened but to be grateful for the struggles in the moment is something that eludes me.

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    1. Alanna, you're right. Those who find joy in their struggles are heroes and heroines. I think of the Lancasters in particular. Thank you for your support and love.

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  2. I think often we go through struggles, survive them, and only later can we find the good that came out of them. When I'm in the moment of a struggle, I try to be grateful for the things that continue to be good, despite the struggle. For example, having food and shelter and clothes and so forth. After the struggle is over, I look back and find the good. It's there, it just hides sometimes.

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    1. Jenny,

      Thank you for sharing and your insights. You're right--sometimes the good is just hiding.

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  3. Jane, thank you for coming to visit me and leaving me some love in your comment! I appreciate it very much! You are quite the philosopher and I commend you for being dedicated to keeping up your blog journey for all these years!! I see we have sweet Alanna in common. Is that how you discovered my blog? I hope to hear from you again. Enjoy the weekend!! Hugs, Darnell

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  4. Thank you, Darnell, for your kind words. Yes, Alanna is a sweetie.

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