Tuesday on my awaitingrainbows account on IG, I shared a post about Intention and a plate of brownies. These brownies arrived on my doorstep with a hug from my neighbor. It was just what I needed that day. I had still been struggling for the previous two months after my first D&C. It has been a very hard recovery, my third miscarriage in a row, and it was winter. My sorrow seemed to want to hang around a lot longer.
But that day, through my sorrow, I saw God’s hand in my life. I saw that he sent me an angel on earth, a rescuer to help pull me out of my thoughts. Very few people even knew that I had a D&C, and it had been a couple months, so who would even remember that I was sad besides me? He sent me someone who not only fed my insane chocolate addiction, but fed my soul. And now years later, every time I see this neighbor, my heart remembers that day. I feel connected to her. I feel that she is my friend.
One of the great challenges of any trial accompanied by sorrow is we can lose our focus on Christ. For me, it wasn’t like every moment of every day I was wallowing in sorrow. But there were definitely moments, sometimes to my surprise. And I wasn’t taking full advantage of the amazing healing power of Jesus Christ. Sometimes it’s a choice to allow ourselves to be comforted. To accept God’s will. I was trying, by my empty arms were well, …very empty. Sometimes time needs a helping hand.
Surrounding ourselves with good friends who don’t judge us because of our weaknesses, but instead say, I hear you in your sorrow, sin, pain, loneliness- those friends will strengthen us, and help enable us to regain our focus on Christ. And brownies aren’t bad either!
I have been noticing a lot more in my recent study in the Book of Mormon how many times the word “exceedingly” is used. I love the phrase “exceedingly great joy“! Doesn’t that just sound so wonderful? I think that we can have daily moments of exceedingly great joy. And I think we can be the hands of Christ to give that joy to another. And these exceedingly joyful moments will increase as we increase our focus on Christ.
I recently was able to help a wonderful couple in my very short-term job. The wife had suffered a stroke two months prior. It was very traumatic for the husband who found her unconscious in the shower. His fear just a short two months later was still very high. He was so worried to ever leave his tender wife again. And because he had no religion in his life, his understanding was this burden was his alone to bear. He didn’t know the true Healer who could calm his troubled heart help carry that burden. And as I watched him suffer mental and emotional anguish, it made me realize how grateful I am for my knowledge that Jesus Christ lives. And that the he knows me and loves me. He is patient with me as I learn. And he can lift my burdens and make them light–they are not always gone, but we are able to bear them.
And I believe we must all pass through sorrow and challenges. It’s how we grow. Even my two year old needs to feel sorrow. For example, she’s very sad when she can’t have chocolate for breakfast and melts down into tears. But she learns that life still must go on. That I still love her even if I say no. And when she changes her focus away from the chocolate and onto other things, she is happier. And if she’s patient, chocolate will come later in the day, and she will feel exceedingly great joy as it melts in her mouth.
May you feel joy this day and your burdens lifted as you refocus your life on Christ.
Love,
Emma
PS I’m working on something exciting and a bit daunting an scary to me! Here’s a sneak peak! Any guesses?
A Jubilant Hope 