Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?

My thoughts on Elder Uchtdorf's talk "Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?"

I’m sort of glad we saved this for the week. As I have spent the week putting up my Christmas decorations I’ve had reason to rejoice!

Like I said in an earlier email, I’ve had to watch this week’s national evening news and it can be a bit depressing. Along with that I’ve been previewing some Shakespeare tragedies. Boy I’m glad Christmas was going up because I would really be depressed. Too much murder and mayhem for my liking. ~smile~

I’m not going to rehash his talk (you read it instead) but I want to talk about two of his points.
1. Enduring to the end.
As I watched my sister physically endure to the end, it was gut wrenching and heart breaking. As I watch my mom endure to the end, it doubles the wrenching and breaking. But those are a physical endurances, what about their spiritual enduring. These two women have every human right to be angry with a God who allowed a physical aliment to ruin their bodies and mind. (My sister passed away after a 5 year battle with brain cancer and my mother is in the throes of Alzheimer’s.) It reminds me of Job. Contrast this with a friend who was in a horrible auto accident (this isn’t me) who was never healed and therefore has decided that the priesthood and the gospel are false because it didn’t heal her. She forgot to endure to the end.
As humans we live in time that ticks and seams long, but God doesn’t and this truly is “but a moment.”
How many of us have had trials that have swallowed us up and then spit us back out? Or did we allow ourselves to “give up” and become digested? I know that is gross, but I live with five sons and that was the analogy we came up with one evening.
Elder Uchtdorf says is perfectly when he says “Enduring to the end implies ‘patient continuance in well doing’, striving to keep the commandments, and doing the works of righteousness.” I think we sometimes forget to finish the fight and just roll over. I know it is hard, but that brings us to point number 2
2. Jesus Christ wants us to succeed
And why wouldn’t he! As parents we want what is best for our children and we want them to succeed. We love them and want to give them the world. We would do it all for them if there was a possibility of us FOR SURE knowing we would outlive them, but we don’t and we would hinder their progression if we did it all. Therefore, just like Christ, we have lessons to learn and trials to solve as we try to succeed in this mortal world. BUT he truly can give us rest. He truly wants us to “come unto him.” Just like we want to do when our children are struggling with physical, emotional and spiritual troubles.
And for that we have every reason to rejoice!!!!
So my challenge is to be more patient in my trials, to go to my Father in prayer and tell him all, and rejoice because He loves me and wants me to succeed.