Come What May, and Love It

My thoughts on Elder Whirthlin's talk "Come What May, and Love It"

I think I need to give a follow up to my so depressing post earlier this week.

As I have been contemplating what I said about hope. I want to be very clear that my lack of hope is a temporary feeling as I deal with the day to day issues/stresses that I face as I raise teens, have a husband be told no as he interviews, watch our retirement drop over 30%, have clients say “no thanks,” struggle with my own health and generally see negativity all around. I want you to know that I have the eternal hope that President Uchtdorf talks about. I feel very hopeful in eternity, in the atonement and resurrection. Of that I have no doubt about hoping for.

The way the talks were given, Elder Wirthlin’s talk comes after President Uchtdorf’s in our study, but they were given in two different sessions, but reading one right after the other gave me hope (pun intended). Last week I felt that my trials, tribulations and day to day responsibilities left me with little hope, but in reading over Elder Wirthlin’s talk “Come What May, and Love it” I feel that I was mistaken in my lack of hope.

I love raising teens. They keep me hopping and always inventing new ways of parenting. They keep my life fresh.
I love that my husband is looking for a new job and I am confident that he will find one. He has found that he is valuable and has some darn good skills that some employer will be lucky to have.
I know that we may be working for our retirement a little longer than we wanted or planned to, but we will do it together. It also makes me work my home business all the much more.
I know that my clients are saying no to me because they too are feeling the financial pinch and one day they will come flocking to me as my product is what they all believe in too. Family means everything to me and that is what my business is about—bring family together again. Mending fences and putting love back into the home.
I know that my struggles with my health are going to be shortly over. In fact I’m about to end my physical therapy for my back and it has been a very long six years!

I will do as Elder Wirthlin says. I will learn to laugh more. I will learn to shake off the lack of control I feel over my life and my family’s life. I will learn to laugh when the Priests change their plans yet again and screw up my beautifully planned car pool. I will laugh and make the best of it when they switch the Cub Scout’s meeting time yet again and just enjoy working with my son in our own little den because we can’t do it when they have it scheduled. I will learn to at least smile through these situations and hopefully laugh at them too.

I will seek for the Eternal. I will understand that it is NOT what happens to me, but how I REACT. I will understand that we each have trials to go through and it how we react to them that will separate the wheat from the tares. I will no longer be someone who allows others to push her buttons. I will be the one who laughs, is proactive and doesn’t allow negativity to ruin a good day—because they are all good. Because I have HOPE!

I have buckets of joy waiting for me. As I read this statement: “The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.” I imagined that party to be like the kind they have at the end of important sports game. Cannons of confetti and balloons drop from the rafters. Bands will play and people will be hugging, screaming and crying tears of joy. I know I have buckets of them waiting for me and I’m sure my mom is filling them with shredded paper as I type.

I have to trust in the Father and His Son! I have to trust that He loves me enough that He will be on my side cheering me along, giving me the tools I need to finish this mission—hard as it may be—to raise teens in this trying time. He gave me these kids because He knew I could do it. I just have to be like Nephi, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” And I’m not done doing what He commanded.

As a choir today we sang hymn 124, “Be Still My Soul” and I’m breaking every copyright by posting it, but it spoke volumes to me today. My soul needs to be told to “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Ps 46:10)

1. Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;
With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

2. Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

3. Be still, my soul: The hour is hast'ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Text: Katharina von Schlegel, b. 1697;
trans. by Jane Borthwick, 1813-1897