When life gets hard and trying and difficult to take
And leaves you lying in the night—worried, wide awake,
May you find some peace in knowing this is not unique to you—
For God will try every heart to test which ones are true.

There are many such examples, like God’s test for Abraham,
When he asked for his son, Isaac, like a sacrificial ram.
Or what about the humble soul whose depths God chose to probe
The one who lost his everything—the ever-faithful Job.

By those who should have loved him, Joseph was hurled in a pit;
And later left to rot in jail for a crime he’d not commit.
Lehi and Sariah were both righteous, worthy ones;
But still they suffered grief and pain from wicked, wayward sons.

And then there was Abinadi who, despite his great desire,
Still was called to pay the price of death by martyr’s fire.
From Joseph Smith these anguished words, “Oh God, where is thy face?”
While friends from burning homes were driven in destitute disgrace.

Mary was called “blessed,” but how she must have cried,
When she saw her perfect Son whipped and crucified.
From Christ himself the aching plea: “Let pass the bitter cup.”
Then in an act of godly trust, bowed and drank it up.

In each of these examples, a choice was there to choose—
The choice to keep on trusting, or the choice to quit and loose.
These all chose submission, but the action verb was love,
Like the hand that does the moving, inside the puppet glove.

So instead of screaming at the skies and crying God’s unjust,
Try a prayer of gratitude and thank Him for His trust.
For those who have been faithful and have done the best they could,
God will wrap up everything for their eternal good.

Yes, God will wrap up everything—all the hurt and pain and tears,
All the waiting and the hoping, all the prayers through all the years.
And crown with noble blessings those who did the best they could—
For all things shall work together for their eternal good!

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May 25, 2016.  The day my little sister married.  I was excited that she was excited about entering the next stage of her life.  But, it got me thinking about marriage and eternity and “until death do you part.”  I had some unanswered questions on my mind.

It was also a day for me to be reminded of what I don’t have—a spouse.  Being the oldest child, I have watched several younger siblings marry, have children, and “move on” with their lives.  While not taking anything away from them, it has been challenging.  It is hard not to sometimes ask “Why?” and “When?” 

Yet, through it all, I truly believe that those who do their best can find peace in the saying, “God will make everything alright in the end; and if it is not all right, it is not the end.”  As I reflected on that quote and the experience of righteous people in the scriptures, I am reminded that trials and worries and pain come to all as part of this mortal experience. 

I am also aware that time has a way of producing a bigger picture, and sometimes things we don’t understand now become clearer in the future.  Some things that we thought were an injustice or a punishment, we later realize were actually tender blessings.  Finally, even wrongs and abuses, when handled through the atonement of Christ, can miraculously be experiences that refine our souls.  So, do we let life make us bitter or better?  That is for each to decide.  But I hope we choose hope and trust and faith and belief and forgiveness and love. 

If we do, we are in good company.

Written: May 2016