“With all of this ebbing and flowing of emotion… we can, as one writer put it, ‘go from heaven to hell and from hell to heaven a dozen times a day’ (May Sarton, Journal of a Solitude [W.W. Norton, 1973], 108). And on some days, particularly difficult days, it may appear that the spiral downward is more frequent than the reach upward. There are days when the adversary seems to have an absolutely crushing upper hand.” (Patricia Holland, A Quiet Heart, 117)
The ebbs and flows we experience in this journey of life can be downright exhausting!
During particularly hard times, I tend to forget for a moment why I’m really here and the value of the difficult parts of my journey. I sometimes struggle to remember who I truly am as an eternal being and lose sight that there is hope, happiness, and goodness ahead. Being able to identify myself, my character, and my current state of life (no matter what it looks like) as a part of the journey God intends for me to be on, has become a protecting and lifesaving tool.
That divinely designed plan is that we are sent to this earth to be tested and to prepare our souls to meet God. Our ability to succeed is made possible through Jesus Christ. When we can internalize this perspective it changes how we view our circumstances.
This is so much easier said than done! I have recently been reminded of five principles that help in gaining this life enabling perspective.
Recognize the Terrain Will Change
I find myself on occasion believing the lie that either myself or my circumstances cannot change. This is a false and crippling belief. One of the key reasons why Christ came to this earth was to enable change. As we have “hope in a better world” through Christ it anchors us and provides the strength needed to act in faith.
Christ has been called “a prince of good things to come” (Hebrews 9:11). I am reminded when I start believing the lie that either I cannot change or my circumstances will always be hard, I need to spend more time counseling with my “Wonderful Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6). As I do, He reminds me that there are “good things to come” and I’m taught of who I am and who I may become. Then I realize that if I turn to Him to help change me, my circumstances (or even just my view of them) change for good as a result.
Remember, we have a guide
I was driving home the other day when a flood of thoughts about the future entered my mind. Worries about my children’s development, my own development, and questions of how we could progress beyond the stage we are in rushed over me. Subsequently came the feelings of anxiety, worry, and discouragement. Then through the mind chatter, a still small voice said, “You can do this with Him, the Lord will help you get there.” Peace came. It doesn’t always come this way or as quickly, but that night, Christ quieted the storm in my heart.
On our journey here on earth, God has blessed every human with the light of Christ. God also blesses us with an ability to receive the guiding, comforting, and protecting presence of the Holy Spirit. Pray, study His word, ponder, and write. As you do you will begin to more clearly hear the messages God wants to give you.
The scriptures are full of Christ’s pleadings and promises for us to seek Him as our guide. What better guide to have than one who “knows the way because He is the way” and who “descended below all things” (Doctrine and Covenants 122:8) so that He could lift us up.
Nourish the Body, it’s part of your soul
As I’ve been seeking for healing in different aspects of my life I have been reminded that my soul consists of my spirit and body. They are connected. As I exercise discipline in the ways I care for my body through exercise, sleep, and nutrition, my spirit is able to have greater mastery.
There are many other guideposts along the way
Imagine being the servant of Elisha. You wake up and you are surrounded by an army “both with horses and chariots” (2 Kings 6:15) come to overtake Elisha.
Elisha responds to the servant who fearfully questions, “How shall we do?” with the faith filled words, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”
“And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:16-17). Elisha was able to respond with such faith because he was seeing with his spiritual eyes. He was fully aware of all the help and protection God was providing them.
The help, or “tender mercies” we receive from God come in many forms. For Elisha, it was angels. For the Israelites it was manna and water from the rock. For Lehi and His family, it was a period of time in Bountiful to rest and gain strength before they continued on their journey. Just as Elisha prayed for the servant’s eyes to be opened, we may also need to ask the question “Lord, please open my eyes” to see what help God is sending us and that it is greater than the opposition we face.
There is shelter found in holy places
When I get my vision clouded by the troubles that are set before me I find it most helpful to go to a holy place. Here I can better receive a vision for the purpose of life. These places “project our brief moment in mortality onto the wide screen of eternity” (Elder Neil L. Andersen, Wounded, October 2018 Ensign). Our holy places may look different, but for me it is a place set apart from the hustle of everyday life where I am able to worship God. I prepare to go to holy places with questions in my mind, a prayer in my heart, and a journal to record what God teaches me. Sometimes, we bring the holy to the place we are in and God blesses us accordingly.
Just as a physical shelter may provide shelter from a storm, these types of places can provide larger vision and protection from the adversary.
Often, the most rapid learning and growth in life comes from the most treacherous parts of our journey. These times may cause us to reach toward God with greater intensity, thus enabling and empowering us to change at a more rapid pace. God has given us so many tools to help our life journey be successful and full of joy, we just have to choose to use them!
I invite you to consider the following question(s) and make a plan to act on your impressions:
How can you open space in your heart and mind to better listen to His voice?
What is a holy place in your life? Do you go there often?
When is the last time you recognized God helping you? What could you do to better see His hand in your life?
How can you nourish your physical body with greater intention?
Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash
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