Lately, I’ve seen how the Lord sees what we need, and will help us to find joy. A few months ago, my family was blessed with a second little boy. We were so happy to have a healthy baby and it has been an adjustment going from one kid to two kids. As you would expect, some days are really great, and some days are a little more difficult. I’ve had my patience tested, but I’ve also felt more love than I ever thought I could.
On one particularly difficult day, I felt like all I was doing was getting mad at my son for all the things that he was doing. I was trying so hard to have patience, but it didn’t seem like I had any left. I decided to take a minute to lay on the couch, close my eyes, and say a little prayer to ask God to help me to have patience, show love to my boys, and be the kind of parent that he wants me to be. While I was praying, I felt Mateus climb on top of me. He started at my feet, and slowly climbed up all the way to my face. I still had my eyes closed at this point, and I just felt him lay on my chest and give me a hug. As I opened my eyes and looked at him, he looked up at me, smiled, and gave me a kiss.
I couldn’t help but cry, as I realized that God, through my sweet, 2 year old son, showed me that everything is going to be okay. In that moment, I not only felt God‘s love, but I felt love for my son, which helped me to have the patience that I needed to continue on. Some days are hard, and sometimes I’m not always the mom that I want to be, but in those moments, God reminds me that he’s there with me, and he is the one that can help me to be the best mom possible for my boys.
This experience has caused me to think about how we can find peace and joy, even when times may be difficult. It’s not always an easy thing to find, but if we turn to God, he can always help us, no matter our circumstances. It’s important to note that even though God will help us, he has never promised that he will take away our pain or frustrations, and our circumstances will not always change. Even after asking God for help, we may be in the exact same position that we were previously. What God can and will do is help us to find peace and joy despite our challenges, and strengthen us so that we can bear our burdens.
Strengthened in Our Trials
Some of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon are in Mosiah 24. In this chapter, Alma and his people are enslaved and persecuted because of their religion. They had their lands and freedoms taken away from them. It came to a point where anyone who was found praying was killed. It’s difficult to imagine being in that type of situation, but I’m sure the pain and hopelessness they felt was immense. Despite everything they were going through, they still relied on God. They couldn’t kneel and pray, as they would have previously, but they could pray in their hearts. They poured out their hearts to God, and continued on with hope that things might one day improve. Eventually, an answer from God came to them.
“13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.”
There are a few things that I really love from these verses. First of all, I love that the first thing that God did was empathize with them. He knew what they were going through and comforted them. The same is true with us and our struggles. No matter what we are experiencing, how difficult our struggles are, or how alone we might feel at times, God knows us, loves us, and knows exactly how we are feeling.
Second, I think it’s important to recognize that God doesn’t change their circumstances immediately. He promises to deliver them eventually, but instead of pulling them out of their current circumstances, he both strengthens them and eases their burdens. Nothing about their physical situation was changed, but because of the faith that the people placed in God, they felt their burdens become lighter. They felt increased strength. Because of this help they received from the Lord, they were able to not only have patience in their current circumstances, but they were able to find joy. When we’re struggling, it may seem impossible to feel happy, but the more faith we are able to place in God, the more He can help us to realize that true joy comes through our Savior, Jesus Christ. We can find lasting joy through Him and His atoning sacrifice for each one of us.
Finding Joy Through Christ
Now I know that all of these thoughts came from a difficult day being a mom, but don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying that motherhood is a burden, and I’m very grateful to be a mother to my two sons. What I am saying is that we will all have difficult times in our lives. These may be brief moments, as it was with my difficult day of motherhood, or they may be long-lasting struggles or circumstances. No matter what we may be experiencing, I know with all my heart that God knows us and hears our prayers. If we turn to Him in faith and strive to make Christ the focus of our lives, he can and will strengthen us. He will ease our burdens. He can help us to “submit cheerfully and with patience,” just as he did with Alma and his people.
President Nelson has taught us, “My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”
I truly believe that we can find joy in our lives. The Lord knows us and knows exactly what we need, and He will be there every step of the way if we let him. Finding this joy won’t always be easy, but if we do our best to focus on the Lord and His gospel, and continually turn to Him with faith and hope, it is possible.