Good Things to Come

It would be so easy to look back at 2015 and want to say “good riddance” to it.

Like so many, I personally experienced much heartbreak this year. Between losing my father-in-law unexpectedly to cancer and continuing to endure the trials of infertility, 2015 had some very sad moments for me and my family. At times I felt so overwhelmed with grief and sadness that I found myself on my knees, pleading with my Heavenly Father to help me get through the day. I prayed for understanding and faith and clarity, anything to help me overcome these trials. But with that, it seemed, came more opposition and more opportunities to grow. Although I did not always receive the answers that my heart desired, I never felt alone and always felt an overwhelming feeling of peace. Those feelings of peace sometimes came right away, sometimes they came later. More often than not, they came through someone else.

From the friend who felt inspired to send a text message letting me know they were thinking of me, to the comforting words offered from my Bishop I found myself being lifted up by earthly angels. The more I took the time to notice these tender mercies, the more of them I found happening in my life. Instead of simply  writing them off as coincidences, I treated them as sacred gifts from my Heavenly Father. I have come to believe that the people put in my life, at this time, are supposed to be in my path, and whether they realized they were following promptings or not, I feel immense gratitude toward those who decided to act and do on our behalf.

Although sometimes the answer we received, when it came to things we hoped for, was “no”, we learned so much. If I had not felt the lows, and the heartache, I would not be able to fully appreciate the joy and happiness I would come to feel, too. And despite the hard times,  2015 was filled with so much joy, and so much happiness.

It’s easy to focus on the trials in our life, and to focus on what isn’t happening rather than on what is. This is something I continually strive to work on. But after moments where I felt I could not handle another sad day, there were those fleeting moments when I felt so close to heaven. I felt strong confirmations that I was not alone, and that He was aware of me and my family. To be able to experience that, and to feel the love from  Heavenly Father and to witness  the service rendered by others is a huge blessing. It helps you grow spiritually, and it fills you with a light that can only come after the darkness. We all have things that are hard for us. For some it may be divorce, cancer, job loss, or the feelings of being lonely. No one trial can be considered the hardest or most difficult. We all suffer in our own unique ways.

We have all been given trials to help us grow and to help us help others through similar circumstances. In the Book of Mormon, in Mosiah 18:8 we are taught “…to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those who stand in need of comfort…”. We are here to help others, and be the angels on earth that we all need. I decided this past year that whatever my trials may be, I will learn something from them, and I will be made stronger for it. That doesn’t mean it comes easily or naturally, but it is a goal that I can work toward.  I don’t need to understand the “whys” right now. Someday, I will get those answers and I continue to live each day believing that God has a plan for me and it will be beautiful. My faith that there are good things to come is what gets me through; it’s what helps me smile and laugh; it is what helps me to see the good in the my life and what helps me to focus on what my family and I have, rather than on what we do not.

As we welcome in the new year, I reflect back on the twelve months behind us. Yes, it was hard. At times unbearable, but I do not want to say good riddance to it. If it were not for 2015 and the experiences that I had, I wouldn’t have felt the happiness, or embraced the good times, happy memories, and many blessings that came with those trials.

If your year was hard, and you can’t wait to put it behind you, that’s okay, too. We are all on different paths, and have moments where we can see clearly, and moments when it’s harder to do so. It is a roller coaster ride that I am on as well. But when life gets hard, I’d encourage anyone to instead focus (even if only for a moment, if that is all you can do) on the tender mercies you’re undoubtedly being given, too. I know that has made all the difference in my life this past year, and I now welcome 2016 with great hope, faith and optimism that there are good things to come.

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