20 minutes had passed and even though I had read each verse on the back of each and every box of Christmas Cards at the store...nothing seemed right for the first card I would send alone in over 4 decades of Decembers. Nothing seemed to show the peace and warmth that I am seeking this Christmas, the first Christmas since Dale passed away.
"May I help you?" the concerned clerk finally asked.
"No", I sighed but then suddenly smiled as the thought struck...."I'll just make my own card this time!" I said, surprising both the clerk AND myself and quickly handed her the three boxes I held that had verses that came close.
I scurried home with ideas flooding my mind. I would watercolor a simple little scene of peace and warmth and humbly send it out to the family and friends who have supported me through this tumultuous year.
Through this intense sorrow I have felt a peace deep inside as well. As I reach out to the Savior, whose birthday we are celebrating, He gives me what I need most: Comfort. Hope. Peace.
I hope my little Christmas Card will be able to convey this message. I'll keep painting and share it later, but for now I want to share some things I've learned along the way...
"These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
Why must we pass through trials in this life?
The
Lord makes no secret that He will test our faith and our obedience. “We will
prove them herewith,” He said, “to see if they will do all things whatsoever
the Lord their God shall command them.”
We
learn from the book of Ecclesiastes: “All things come alike to all: there is
one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean,
and to the unclean; … as is the good, so is the sinner. … There is one event
unto all.” Tempests may occur in the life of the man who
built his life upon the rock of the gospel, as well as in the life of the
foolish who built his life upon the things of this world.
How should we react to these trials?
The
Lord has said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross daily, and follow me.” Each day we must take up our cross and press
forward—and not just linger on the sidelines of our eternal journey.
When we are being tried, we should ponder and ask, “What does the
Lord want me to do in this situation?”
When
we have the sincere desire to put our lives in harmony with the will of the
Lord, He will always be ready to help ease our burdens.
What destroys our good cheer and our hope?
Jesus
Christ told the Twelve Apostles some of the things that can destroy our hope
and make us give up: allowing ourselves to fall into temptation; not enduring
affliction, tribulation, and persecution; fearing “the cares” of the world;
seeking wealth first; giving up instead of enduring to the end.
What gives us courage and hope?
The
Lord’s invitation to each of us is “come unto me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus Christ has the power to give us rest from our pain and
suffering.
If
we daily exercise faith, meekness, charity, and lowliness in heart, confessing
that Jesus is the Christ, and accepting His Atonement, we will be blessed with
the strength and hope to face and overcome the trials and pains of this life.
What are some of the Lord’s promises to each one of us?
“Be
of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken
you.”
“Be
of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the
blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.”
Elder Adhemar Damiani - LDS General Conference April 2005
