What a beautiful lesson the sunrise teaches us every single day. It doesn't matter how dark the night is, we have the certainty that the sun will come up in the morning.
While speaking about seeking God's love in times of trial, President Uchtdorf says: "The very moment you begin to seek your Heavenly Father, in that moment, the hope of His light will begin to awaken, enliven, and ennoble your soul. The darkness may not dissipate all at once, but as surely as night always gives way to dawn, the light will come." Just like we can trust in the promise that the night will give way to dawn and that the dark has to yield to light, we can also trust the promise of our Father when He says: "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." (Deuteronomy 31:6)
There have been moments in my life, and I am sure there will be more, when I physically felt like I was engulfed in darkness. I saw no way out of a trial. I lost hope for the improvement of my situation. I felt complete desperation and longing for it to be over. Discouragement was then followed by anger. I wondered: why me? Why can't I catch a break? I would cry and ask God: "Father, you know the trials I have gone through, you know that I can't handle any more. If you know this, why do they keep coming?"
I felt much like what President Monson describes in one of his talks:
"When the pathway of life takes a cruel turn, there is the temptation to ask the question “Why me?” At times there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel, no sunrise to end the night’s darkness. We feel encompassed by the disappointment of shattered dreams and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We become impatient for a solution to our problems, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required." (General Conference October 2013)
When either I or my husband are faced with a trial, I am prompt to say and even promise "it will all be okay." I truly believe that. I believe that it will all be okay! No matter what trial, what tragedy, what illness, what news we receive, what catastrophe we face, etc. It truly will all be okay in the end! Why? How? Because "All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ." (Preach my Gospel, Ch.3, Lesson 2)
The question might be posed: Why do bad things happen to good people?
To be completely honest, I don't know. But what I do know with all my heart and being is this: there is a God in Heaven that loves His children. Jesus is the Christ, the Living Son of the Living God. All things will be okay because of those two precious truths. It is hard for me to explain to each one of you who is reading this post how exactly these truths will make your trial "okay", but I know that if you ask God how the sacrifice of His Beloved Son will heal your wounded heart, He will make it known unto you.
Christ taught:
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
(Matthew 7:9-11)
I testify of the reality and the love of God. I proclaim that God lives and that Christ does too! They will guide us and help us through the darkness. Trust in Them. Allow Them to bear you up when you can no longer do so. "As surely as night always gives way to dawn, the light will come".
Sources and picture from lds.org
