Like Stones in a River

We all go through hard times in our lives. We all have different circumstances surrounding us, but there's one thing that can help us through every pain, sickness, temptation, or trial we face in life. If we rely on the Lord and His loving sacrifice for us, those difficult times can become times of learning and growth rather than times of pain and sorrow. I once had a teacher in church that said, "Just as trees grow more during times of greater moisture (in rain), we grow much more in times of greater moisture (in tears)." I have seen this to be true, even in my short life. Everything we go through, every circumstance around us, every person we come in contact with is placed there for us. Our Father in Heaven knows us. He knows who we are, but more importantly, who we can become. He places things in our lives that help us grow, help us get stronger, and help us to become the person we are meant to be. If we counsel with Him through prayer and try to see things the way He would have us see them (from an eternal perspective) we can see those times as more of an opportunity for growth to become closer to and more like our Savior Jesus Christ. For those of you that know me, I love music, so I'll share a couple of song lyrics on the topic:

four years old at his front door
watches while his daddy drives away
he knows that something's wrong
when he sees the tears on momma's face
and his whole life will change

teenage boy just down the road
suffering from choices in his life
he's turning to the lord
changing, getting stronger with time
but never knew it was so hard

like stones in the river

we are tossed and turned
when the current moves so strong
but stones in living waters over time
are shaped until the edges are gone
polished and smooth, that's what we will be
if we put ourselves in god's hands
each day of our lives is a gift from the giver
to smooth all the edges
like stones in the river



the trials of our lives can work for our good
if we let the savior's love surround us

he'll find us

(Doug Walker)

"He who sees from on high smiles and surely sings,
Perspective pries your once weighty eyes and it gives you wings,...
to obtain a birds eye is to turn a blizzard to a breeze"

As we come to know and love our Savior and focus on how we can become more like Him and more like the person our Father wants us to be, these trying times will become blessings to our lives rather than burdens. I hope we can all learn to see things the way our Father in heaven does, and that we all become the person he wants us to be. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, amen.