I had a woman call me for support today. She and her family have experienced a life full of abuse. She is trying to work through the 12 Steps of Recovery and she’s stuck on steps two and three and. the principles of developing hope and trust in God. She cannot figure out what it is she is can trust about God. What can she trust Him to do or to be in her life? Because of life’s trials, she feels she cannot trust that he will always keep her or her children safe from harm or accident or trial.
Her questions and frustration caught me off guard. I was in the middle of a personal cleaning and organizing project with my 12 year old granddaughter. I quickly shared with her a thought that came immediately into my mind and hung up feeling like I hadn’t really hit the mark. As I drove Eliza home I asked her how she would have answered this sister’s question. She said, “Well, in the end we can trust that the Lord will save us.” We kept talking as we drove and even after I dropped her off the Spirit kept working with me on the answer. After all, I thought, this is the question of the ages. This is a question every believer has to answer.
The following thoughts came to me:
1. I can trust that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, in the end, everything will work out. My life is more that this life.
2. I can trust that the Lord loves me. He gave His life because He loves me.
3. I can trust that He knows me, my life, my strengths, my weaknesses, everything about my situation.
4. I can trust that Jesus has experienced everything I have experienced. Jesus knows how I feel!!! That’s what the Atonement is all about.
5. I can trust that all things are for my experience and will ultimately be for my good. That’s what He taught Joseph Smith.
6. I can trust that Jesus is more powerful than anything that has or will ever happen to me. If I turn to Him He has all the love and understanding and power necessary to work all things together for my good, even the most horrific things.
7. I can trust that He loves to do this work in my life, that it is His work and His glory to help me.
8. Most of my hardships are either caused by my own poor choices of the unrighteous choices of others. The Lord cannot interfere with agency, mine or anyone else’s. He does not always remove our trials, but I can trust that if I invite Him, He is absolutely willing and desirous to walk through any hardship with me. It doesn’t seem to matter where the blame lies. It doesn’t seem to matter weather my trial is of my own making, my own misuse of the freedom to choose, or the harsh reality of great pain caused by the choices of others. If I ask Him He will be with me.
9. I can trust that if I open my eyes even in the most difficult of situations, and look for signs of God love and understanding and power for me—personally--in my behalf, I will see it.
My hope and trust in the Lord is not perfect. It’s not continuous, but it is growing. I work every day at developing my belief by practicing belief. I practice by first asking the Lord to reveal Himself to me in my day, His love, His understanding, and His power. I study the scriptures and read about people who have placed their hope and trust in the Lord and people who have not, and I learn from their lives. Then I try to keeping my eyes open and watching for His hand in my life. I also take actions based on the belief that God is there, that He loves ME and He IS helping me. Finally I express gratitude for all the precious signs that show me He is aware of me and my little life in a big way.
I'm growing in my ability to take Him at His word: " For I am God, and mine arm is not shortened; and I will show miracles, signs, and wonders, unto all those who believe in my name" (D&C 35:8) As I become more conscious of the Lord, as He shows up in my life, I discover that He is always conscious of me ! I see His hand in my life every day. I’ve always known who I should trust.
By Nannette W.
Posted Tuesday, June 14, 2011
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