Guest Post: Nichole Trone

"Ironically enough, in the same way that fear brings to pass what one is afraid of, likewise a forced intention makes impossible what one forcibly wishes... Pleasure is, and must remain, a side-effect or by-product, and is destroyed and spoiled to the degree to which it is made a goal in itself." 

― Viktor E. Frankl

Fear is a selfish feeling. It is the opposite of gratitude. I've been coming to terms with the anxiety that seizes me, inexplicably at times. It often manifests itself when changes are taking place in my life, when big decisions need to be made, and when relationships are being formed, along with other stresses. At this time in my life, almost all of these conditions are present and so I've found myself struggling with the fears that grip me in the midst of great blessings. I get frustrated with myself and I wish I had a switch I could flip off to quell the fear. It makes me want to call myself crazy or neurotic and yet I know my intentions are good. So, what makes me scared? And, more importantly, what can I do to have courage and enjoy life?

I believe that fear often comes from selfishness and it is a faith issue. When I am scared I know that feeling comes from the fear that my deepest desires will be left unfulfilled. Do I believe the Lord when He tells us repeatedly "Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"? The truth is, most of the time I do, but sometimes I falter. I am so grateful for the kind people who remind me of who I really am and what I am capable of. In my times of need I have had friends reassure me of my strength and share their wisdom with me. They are answers to my prayers.

The answer to fear is simple in expression, but complicated to execute. It is simply gratitude. Instead of worrying about my own needs being met, I can reach out to others and stop focusing on what I perceive as missing from my life. In reality, as long as I'm seeing the holes in my life, I will not see what is actually present. There will never be enough for me if I am never satisfied.Viktor Frankl more eloquently said:

"Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run - in the long-run, I say! - success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it."

I'll admit, this has been somewhat of a gripe for me. Why must I deny what I am seeking in order to find it? The same goes for relationships. As soon as I look for love, I find disappointment, but when it comes to me unsought I can appreciate it more fully because I have experienced a single life and embraced it. I'm not saying I'm good at this yet, because I'm not, but at least I know what I should do. I should allow myself to love without fear and enjoy the process instead of fearing the end from the beginning, which is a self-fulfilling prophesy.

I need to apply this principle to something I have already accomplished. This summer, for example, I was learning how to drive a school bus: a giant, yellow, 14-ton-machine that does not operate in the same way a car works. I'll admit, it scared me a little to drive one at first, but I didn't picture myself failing. I took it on as a challenging project and I believed I was capable of accomplishing the task. At one point in my training, I was pulled aside by my trainer and told that I was coming along more slowly than others. She was concerned that I wouldn't be able to fully realize my goal of becoming certified. Her confidence in my ability was shaken by my slow progress and it affected my performance for a good week or two. I shouldn't have allowed that criticism to make me doubt myself, but it did for a while. I took my commercial driver's license test the first time and failed it. I went home fearing that I wouldn't be able to continue, although my mistake had been a minor technicality, but then I prayed for help. I focused on my strengths and continued with a smile on my face. The second time I passed. It was a great feeling. Now I can drive without the anxiety I felt then. I enjoy it now. I can focus on attending to the needs of the students because I am past my own fears. The same goes for other fears. When I can get past them, I can attend to the needs of others more effectively. I hope I can always remember this. It doesn't mean that I am always perfect at what I am doing. I hit a telephone pole with my bus a while ago and it shook my confidence, but I didn't quit (and thankfully wasn't fired) and I continue to improve my driving skills.

Fear keeps me from becoming who I am supposed to be. It clouds my perception of myself and others. I am going to do my best to focus on gratitude and be a force for good. 

http://agirlwho.blogspot.com/2011/11/cure-for-fear-is-gratitude.html

Mother’s Christmas Mouse, by Betty LeBaron Mostert

When I was a child in the 1950s and 1960s, our Christmas traditions were not elaborate—except for the stockings. Because we children enjoyed our Christmas stockings so much, we continued the tradition when we married and had children of our own. Buying surprises and assembling dozens of Christmas stockings, however, soon became too much for my aging parents, especially my mother, who had a serious case of rheumatoid arthritis that limited her mobility and energy.

Eventually, I volunteered to take over the project. Our annual extended family home evening, in which we acted out the Christmas story and opened our stockings, found me exhausted from the demands of being the mother of several small children and juggling the events of an active life. As I watched everyone dump treasures out of the gingham Christmas stockings I had carefully prepared, I was feeling a little sorry for myself.

As expected, my stocking was empty except for the standard candy cane and Japanese orange that I had placed there earlier. But as I shook them out, I noticed a little bedraggled mouse made of a walnut and hazelnuts. One ear was much bigger than the other, and the whiskers were crooked. The tail had been cut too short, and the loop to hang it on the tree was off center. I was confused. Had someone’s kindergarten project ended up in my stocking?

I looked up and saw my mother watching me from her wheelchair across the room. With a gnarled, bent finger, she beckoned to me.

“I wanted to do something for the Christmas stockings,” she said. “They made these little mice in Relief Society, and they were so cute.”

Her tears were close to the surface, and her gentle voice shook as she continued.

“I couldn’t get my fingers to work, so I made only one. It didn’t turn out, but I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

I looked again at the little mouse in my hand. She was right. I didn’t mind. In fact, her little bedraggled mouse became the most precious treasure of all that Christmas.

For more than 20 years, I have tenderly removed the tissue paper from the misshapen mouse crafted by misshapen fingers and carefully placed it on a branch. My angel mother has been free of her crippled body for several years, but her Christmas mouse reminds me of two profound truths.

The first is that my mother honored me by believing that I could look past the mouse’s crooked ears and feel the love and sacrifice that went into its creation. The second is that if I, as an imperfect mortal, am capable of finding beauty in a humble little mouse, how much more is our Father in Heaven capable of seeing past our imperfect efforts and understanding our pure intentions.

I know that when we do our best to give to others and to Him, our gift is not just good enough—it is of incalculable worth.

Read other Christmas stories:
http://lds.org/ensign/2007/12/latter-day-saint-voices/mothers-christmas-mouse?lang=eng&query=walnuts+christmas

Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them

Life, or Trains

“Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is just like an old time rail journey ... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” 

― Jenkin Lloyd Jones

Hold On, or He is Answering

Today was interesting. I felt very anxious and was worried that I am not who I need to be, or that I am not who I desperately want to be for me and for others. I felt afraid and I felt distance growing inside me. I prayed and prayed, but it seemed that the help I needed wasn't coming. As I kept going through my day, I did start to feel a little better. But it was later when I really felt the answer I had been craving. There was a church activity planned that I wasn't sure if I would have time to go to because of a work meeting, but I decided to go and just leave a little early. I'm glad I did. There I felt a sweet feeling of comfort, along with a renewal of perspective. Everything really will be ok. I don't need to be afraid. Things will be wonderful.

God answered my prayers. He was actually listening and responding to my prayers all day, but in ways that I didn't recognize or didn't want, or that just needed some time to develop. I wanted immediate responses and assurances, but today He was setting things up for me so I would really learn some valuable truths in ways that would make a true impact on me. I thought He wasn't answering me; in actuality, He was, and more than I realized: He was leading me to people and settings and ideas that would help me find the relief I was looking for. He knew that, today, I needed to be taught in a certain way.  He does know best.

I know that there are times when we must pray and stand up and keep on going without receiving a clear answer or feeling or response. But, I know that God does not ignore us. He is listening and answering. I have learned that God rarely changes our situations immediately; He changes our hearts and our perspectives. Situations may stay the same for a while, but if we can see things clearly, or see them as He sees them, we can be filled with hope that everything will be ok.  

Guest Post: Julie Meyers

"A few weeks ago, I was deeply offended by someone I love dearly.  I felt positive that this person’s actions were wrong and that I was right.  I wanted so much for this person to acknowledge the hurt he/she had caused and to apologize.  I couldn’t think about anything else except getting this person to recognize the error of his/her ways.  In an attempt to justify my angry feelings, I turned to the scriptures for guidance.  Instead of finding validation for my bitterness, I was gently led by the Lord to the following counsel in the 64th section of the Doctrine and Covenants*:

8 My disciples, in days of old, sought occasion against one another and forgave not one another in their hearts; and for this evil they were afflicted and sorely chastened.

 9 Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.

 10 I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.

 11 And ye ought to say in your hearts—let God judge between me and thee, and reward thee according to thy deeds.

"I was chastened.  I prayed for help to let go of these resentful feelings, and almost instantly, I felt complete peace, whereas holding onto my grudge caused me to feel “afflicted,” as the scripture states.  Even though forgiveness is not the world’s philosophy and is indeed our natural and usually first response to being offended or hurt, it is the only way to find true happiness. 

"I was also struck by the words in verse 8, where the Lord states that his disciples had not forgiven each other “in their hearts.”  So often, I have said, “Oh, that’s okay,” when someone has apologized yet then held on to secret resentments in my heart.  Anger and frustration are destructive and halt our progression, while forgiveness is healing and beautiful and allows us to move forward in our relationships and our own personal growth."

*The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of divine revelations . . . given of God through his chosen prophets for the restoration of his holy work . . . in these days” (Explanatory Introduction, Doctrine and Covenants).

Guest Post: Lisa Christensen

I have invited some people I know to contribute to my blog. I asked them to share some of their experiences and thoughts about life, God, hardships, etc. Here is the first of a few. This is by Lisa Christensen.

"There are many impressive things in the world. Utah rain is typically not one of them. But on one spring day last year, the clouds opened up and released the kind of heavy, sustained sheets of water that have been the backdrop for many a passionate movie kiss.

"I love rain, and would have been more inclined to celebrate the miracle of substantial precipitation were I not two miles from home and without a car in the middle of the night. The clouds had begun to break just before I left a friend's house. I had loaned out my car, and had the borrowers drop me off for a party. It had not been raining when I had left my car and I did not think to take an umbrella. It also did not occur to me to ask anyone for a ride. For some reason, on that rainy spring night, I simply hoofed it.

"The first several blocks were pleasant, an adventure. Running between the raindrops was impossible, but leaping over small puddles in the sidewalks or streams rushing down the storm drains was fun, and I was enjoying the novelty. By the time I approached a mile, though, my clothes were soaked through and my hair was dripping wet.

"Coming down the home stretch of more than a half mile in length, I finally found a tree big and broad enough to give a little dry cover against the rainstorm. As it happened, this blessed respite was across the street from the Logan Utah Temple. The bright light emanating from its white domes, perhaps made more brilliant in contrasting the angry, dark clouds above.

"Huddling there against the magnificent tree with the temple standing so near, my shivering was suddenly insignificant and my sopping clothes no longer mattered. In the peace that took the place of those temporal problems, I finally noticed the stillness echoing amidst the raindrops.

"Of course, I couldn't stay there forever. It was still pouring and midnight and I was still several blocks away from a hot shower and warm bed. And I realize I should have called someone at some point, which eventually became more a point of pride than forgetfulness, but this is not a story about stubbornness. This is a story about moments of peace amidst storms literal and figurative.

"Life is hard. I don't believe it's much of a stretch to apply the literal raindrops to the figurative bombardment of hardship and difficulty we face every day. And they might seem novel at first, but the torrent of anger and contention and woe that seem to fill most arenas of our modern world wears on the body and soul of a person. Everyone needs a tree under which to stand, if only for a minute, and become refreshed in the image of God and things greater than a little rain. Church or temple attendance are certainly shelters, as can be meetings with good friends or family, or even taking a moment to revel in miracle that is life and the universe and everything.

"And then can we head back into the tempest, perhaps not yet dry but ready again to face and endure for a little longer."

Trust and Timing, or Something I Read in the Church Program Today

This is an excerpt from a talk given in 1994 by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, who is a living apostle of God (like Paul or Peter from New Testament times):

"When we have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we must have trust in him. We must trust him enough that we are content to accept his will, knowing that he knows what is best for us...

"Here we see the Savior’s absolute faith and trust in the Father. “Nevertheless,” he said, “not my will, but thine be done.” The Father’s answer was to deny the plea of his Only Begotten Son. The Atonement had to be worked out by that lamb without blemish. But though the Son’s request was denied, his prayer was answered. The scripture records: “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him” (JST, Luke 22:43).

"Strengthened from heaven to do the will of the Father, the Savior fulfilled his mission. “And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly; and he sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (JST, Luke 22:44).

"When we try to develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ rather than merely cultivating faith as an abstract principle of power, we understand the meaning of the Savior’s words: “If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moro. 7:33).

"Here the Savior reminds us that faith, no matter how strong it is, cannot produce a result contrary to the will of him whose power it is. The exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is always subject to the order of heaven, to the goodness and will and wisdom and timing of the Lord. That is why we cannot have true faith in the Lord without also having complete trust in the Lord’s will and in the Lord’s timing. When we have that kind of faith and trust in the Lord, we have true security in our lives. President Spencer W. Kimball said, “Security is not born of inexhaustible wealth but of unquenchable faith” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, pp. 72–73)."

To read the full talk, go to http://lds.org/general-conference/1994/04/faith-in-the-lord-jesus-christ?lang=eng&query=Elder+(name%3a%22Dallin+H.+Oaks%22)

To learn more about living apostles and why and how God has called prophets and apostles in modern times, go to http://mormon.org/restoration/

Has God Forgotten Me?, or Have I Forgotten God?

"Memory is a net; one finds it full of fish when he takes it from the brook; but a dozen of miles of water have run through it without sticking."

-Olivier Wendell Holmes

When hard times come and seem to stay and stay, we sometimes ask where God is and why He hasn't kept His promises. As we look at our lives we may see unfairness or abandonment. We may feel picked on or ignored.

It is at these times that we must rely on our understanding of who God is and why we're on earth; we must rely on our faith. We build faith and we are just passing through times when it is meant to be used. These are times to not forget all that God has done and continues to do for us.  

"Memory is a net; one finds it full of fish when he takes it from the brook;

but a dozen of miles of water have run through it without sticking."

It is surprisingly easy to focus on our problems and overlook all the good that we have in our lives.  

We can be so focused on our life that seems to be "full of fish" that we ignore the "dozen[s] of miles of water that have run though" our lives without us recognizing them. We have food, water, a house or a place to live, senses, family, friends, we can communicate with God, we have chairs, plates, entertainment, commandments and guidance, health, the ability to feel emotions, an understanding of our reason of living, a hope for a joyful and perfect future, etc., etc.  

If all I had tomorrow is what I thanked God for today, what would I have tomorrow?

I know that God supports us during our trials. He does not abandon us. He supports us with "miles of water" all the while we are going through difficult things. As we choose to thank Him for everything He has given us, our faith in Him will grow and we will feel greater peace. We will see that God has not forgotten us; we have just forgotten Him.

"Memory is a net; one finds it full of fish when he takes it from the brook;

but a dozen of miles of water have run through it without sticking." 

Weakness, or Feeling Bad About Oneself

This is an excerpt from an article written by Elder Glenn L. Pace.  

"Many Latter-day Saints know the Church is true but have unhealthy feelings about their own inadequacies, real or imagined. The scriptures inform us that we all have weaknesses and that there is a place for them in our spiritual progress: “If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).

"Too often we wallow in our weaknesses so much that we do not allow “weak things” to “become strong.” Our condition is frequently misdiagnosed as humility, when in reality it is a lack of confidence.

"What is the difference between the two?

"To be humble is to recognize our utter dependence upon the Lord. We are conscious of our strengths, but we do not exalt ourselves and become prideful, for we know that all good things ultimately come from God. We are conscious of our weaknesses, but we know the Lord can use those very weaknesses to bless our lives and that through Him, as we learn from the book of Ether, our weaknesses can become strengths.

"To lack confidence is to have feelings of low self-worth. We are preoccupied with our weaknesses, and we lack faith in the Lord’s ability to use those weaknesses for our good. We do not understand our inestimable worth in the eyes of God, nor do we appreciate our divine potential. Ironically, both pride and a lack of self-confidence cause us to focus excessively on ourselves and to deny the power of God in our lives.

"Dr. Thomas Harris made the following wise observation on insecurity and confidence: “Most people never fulfill their human promise and potential because they remain perpetually helpless children overwhelmed by a sense of inferiority. The feeling of being okay does not imply that the person has risen above all his faults and emotional problems. It merely implies that he refuses to be paralyzed by them.” ¹

"I am impressed by President Gordon B. Hinckley’s personal philosophy, which we all would do well to adopt: “I believe in myself. I do not mean to say this with egotism. But I believe in my capacity and in your capacity to do good, to make some contribution to the society of which we are a part, [and] to grow and develop. … I believe in the principle that I can make a difference in this world, be it ever so small.”

To read the whole article, go to http://lds.org/ensign/2005/01/confidence-and-self-worth?lang=eng&query=confidence+self-worth

What is General Conference All About?, or What Is God Saying To The World Today?

General Conference is a series of meetings held each April and October. God's living prophets and apostles teach us what God wants us to know and how we can live to find peace and satisfaction (just like Isaiah, Moses, Paul did - they were chosen by God to teach the world about Him, and so they did). God didn't just speak during Bible times. He speaks now! As you apply what the prophets teach, your relationship with God will improve. You will see your life begin to fill with even more happiness than you currently have. You will find direction in a world that is losing its moral footings. You will know what God is saying right now about our world, culture, and our situations, etc. You will feel the Holy Ghost as you listen to the words of these apostles, for I know that they are actual prophets of God.

To learn more about modern prophets and apostles, go to http://mormon.org/restoration/

or to learn more about the specific apostles in this video, go to http://lds.org/church/leader/thomas-s-monson?lang=eng

Do I Love Behavior?, or Do I Love People?

First off, Heavenly Father is not concerned with us "paying Him back." In the Book of Mormon, a prophet named Benjamin taught his people, "...if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole souls has power to possess, to that God who has created you...[and] if ye should serve Him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants" (Mosiah 2:20-21). The expectation to "pay back" what God has done for us is not part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even if I served every minute of every day as perfectly faithfully as possible, I could/would never repay Him, and He's not expecting me to "repay" Him. 

Yet, we are "[His] work and [His] glory" (Moses 1:39). Our worth is in who we are, not in what we do. We are children of God. He is not just focused on our behavior; He is focused on us. Us, actual members of His family. Knowing this truth frees us from focusing solely on behavioral things and allows us to focus on our actual relationship with Him. And as we come closer to Him, we will want to do all He asks. Certainly, because He wants us to be happy, He has given us special blessings called commandments. These provide knowledge about truths that if followed result in certain opportunities and benefits. God knows that if we ground our behavior in these truths we will be happy. But His perfect love for us is unaffected by our choices to fully accept His help or not. 

Interestingly, our love for Him deepens when we focus on Him and not on His behavior. Is our love for God conditional and based upon what we assume He is doing? Do we turn from Him when He does things differently than we would like? If so, it is so important to remember that, unlike us, His actions are always for our good. So, we can remember that He is always ultimately focused on our eternal happiness and joy. He wants us to become, which requires us to learn, which requires that we pass through hard times.

I don't think it can be stressed enough that in order to have true faith in God, one must come to know Him and of His perfect and constant attributes. Knowing that God is working for "the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39), or for our long term happiness, is crucial knowledge during times of confusion, frustration, or depression. He never, ever, ever, ever forgets us; we're the only ones who do any of the forgetting.

Giving Up What I "Want", or What I Learned During A Work Meeting Today

Following Christ is being willing to give up what we currently may want to do, say, think, believe, or be for what He has taught us. This is often very hard. However, we do not need to be discouraged that this giving up of our wills does not happen all at once. It is a process to learn that what we really want is to give all of ourselves to God. It is one reason we came to earth. Instead of feeling overwhelmed with how far we need to go or feeling doubtful that we can ever really have a true change of heart, we can feel peace in knowing that 1) He will help us change day by day as we listen to the Holy Spirit, and 2) what He is offering us is more rich and satisfying than anything we could come up with on our own. He is offering us truth and real joy and relationships. He is offering us everything He has.

A Letter From Mark, or A Missionary's Thoughts

This is a section of a letter Mark wrote to us. He is currently serving a mission in France, in a city close to the German border. 

"It was after this rendezvous while walking to the church that I had a large realization. I had already written my President's email describing what had happened with Françoise and was thinking about why missions are so hard. (There was a bus greve last Monday so we had lots of walking to do between Brigitte's and the church). Why? Why do we have to go through all these literal heartbreaks? We open ourselves up to these people and present our heart to them, as it were, and love them so much, and then these things happen that mess us up. Elder Coburn had mentioned a bit of what he had put in his email to his family about this and it concerned the Savior. 

"So I started thinking about the Savior and His mission the earth. I started thinking of him as a man, divine though He was, a man in the sense that he has emotions and feelings that we all have. I thought about that and the reasons why I'm here on a mission. I have always thought that I knew exactly why I was here, to spread the Gospel, share what I have. But as I was thinking about Jesus Christ in this way, I realized that He was giving literally His whole life to the people He lived among. He gave them his whole heart. During His time on earth, He experienced the exact same things we do, or rather, we experience, as missionaries, the same things He did. We have investigators who don't understand our message (the woman at the well) we have investigators who have so much potential, but they don't go all the way (the rich young man), we have flatout rejection. I'm sure Jesus was hoping for these people with more hope than I could ever muster. He knew them better than I ever could know somebody. He understood their value perfectly, and yet they rejected Him too. They had the Son of God with them, and in the end, many many rejected him completely. 

"So, here is what I came up with after thinking of all this. As a representative of Jesus Christ here in Nancy, doing (or trying, anyway) to do the same things Jesus Christ would do if He were here in Nancy, should I not expect some rejection, some heartbreak, some disappointment? In being His representative, in wearing His name everywhere I go for people to  see, should I not expect to go through a small, tiny fraction of what He experienced and felt? And in living these hard things, do I not understand Christ a little bit better? I feel as if the gap between myself and Christ has gotten smaller this week. That is not to say that I understand in any way what Christ lived, but I understand just that little bit more."

When It Is Hard To Wait, or Claim the Exceeding Great and Precious Promises

http://lds.org/liahona/2007/11/claim-the-exceeding-great-and-precious-promises?lang=eng&query=elder+condie+promises

Meet Boo, or I Want To Go To Busch Gardens!

This is Boo. He's such dear and clever child. He loves to go to Busch Gardens. He loves to see all the animals and he knows a lot about them. Busch Gardens is a big deal. He even dreams about it sometimes.

Sometimes Boo wants to go to Busch Gardens but there are other things to do that day, or the plan is to go on Saturday instead of on Tuesday. He will get to go eventually, but when it's best for everyone in his family.

Boo doesn't like to get his fingernails clipped. He hates it. However, if his mom and dad didn't clip his fingernails just because he didn't want them to, they would actually stop doing something that just simply must be done. Also, they would be doing him no favors by giving into his demands to not take naps, to only eat popsicles, or to play with cutlery or fragile things. At this stage in his life, Boo doesn't necessarily know what is best for him. He certainly knows what he likes and what he thinks is best, but his parents can see the danger in sometimes giving him exactly what he wants when he wants it.

The parallel is clear. We may feel that the very best thing for us right now is being withheld by God. Perhaps we desperately want to find our "someone." Perhaps we are struggling with health challenges, emotional or physical, that seem to rule our lives. Or we struggle seeing loved ones suffer and lose their faith or their purpose in life. The difficult thing is knowing that God has promised He can do anything but He's not giving us what we feel we want and need more than anything else. 

But, God is the Perfect Parent. He knows us individually. He knows Boo. He knows how much Boo loves Busch Gardens, what his favorite animal is, how Boo loves Dopey from Snow White, and that Boo gets so excited each time he hears a fire engine. God loves us each in the very same way. He knows our heartaches and our desires, and tenderly acknowledges them. But, at this stage of life we do not fully understand what is best for us. We certainly know what we like and what we think is best, but God can see the reason why it isn't time to give us all we want and need right now. It is so critically important to know God at times like these. Not to just know about Him, but to know and trust Him. To trust that He really does want us to be happy, to trust that He really does love us.

I know with a knowledge that is deep, real, and personal that God is our loving Father. He withholds those things we want so dearly because He knows what is good for us and when it will be right and best for us to receive what we want. I know that He weeps with us when we suffer. He wants nothing more than for us to be happy. But, He wants us to be happy for forever. He knows what we will need to learn in order to enjoy perfect happiness. This life is not the reward; it is the test. But, what wonderful comfort we can feel as we remember that God is leading us through it. He's leading us back to Him.