Special Experiences

My thoughts on Elder Rasband’s talk “Special Experiences”

I read this talk right after Elder Holland addressed our stake in the adult session of our conference and it was profound. I do not know how to adequately express my thoughts on this topic, but I will try. My heart is very heavy as I’m dealing with a lot of emotions during this season in my life. There is much that I want to change and most of that is not in my control. I can only pray that the bumpy will get smoother, or that I won’t notice so much, because the bumps tend to make my eyes water ~smile~.

“Some experiences will come as serious challenges and heavy trials that test our ability to cope with them.”

I’ve heard all the saying again and again. “He won’t test you more than you can bear.” And my favorite comes from Mother Teresa, my hero, “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.” But when you are in the middle of it all, it sure gives little comfort, well at least to me.

“As experiences accumulate in our live, they add strength and support to each other. Just as the building blocks of our homes support the rest of the structure, so too do our personal life experiences become building blocks for our testimonies and add to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

But this statement is only true if we recognize it. Otherwise we will see the trials and experiences as a wrecking ball and we will sit back and watch the wrecking ball ruin our testimony. The only thing is we didn’t see who was controlling that ball—ourselves!

I’m glad Elder Rasband added this line, “…think of the special experiences you have been blessed with in your life that have given you conviction and joy in your heart.” After reading the tradition talk by Sister Lant (I read them in reverse order) most of these experiences have happened while participating in a family or ward tradition.

He later says, “…a new building block has been added to my house of faith.” How many times do we look backwards and say that very thing, but while we are in the midst of the experience can’t see that building going on.”

As I’m struggling dealing with life right now, I must have faith that right now the Master Builder and Architect and I are building an amazing house of faith because it sure feels lonely walking through the refiners fire as the building is being built.