What the First Three Months of 2012 Have Taught Me About God

I've had three major revelatory experiences about life and my Father in Heaven's involvement in my life specifically.  Since they are particularly relevant to me at the moment I thought I'd share them, if only to remind myself.

You know how when you feel like you're trying to make yourself better and when you are trying to fix some of your mistakes life can start to feel like it's getting harder?  It's easy to ask "why?" and get frustrated at God because, really who else is there to be mad at? (Ironic question)  Well, I've been thinking about that a lot lately.  I've been trying to be better, trying to make up for some mistakes and I feel like I've run into some heavy duty trials since.  Here is what I've learned about such situations:

1.) Just Apply Pressure
Like I mentioned before, I was in a car accident in January and as I was sitting in pain one Sunday squeezing my shoulder trying to relieve the pain there I had the profound thought, "when in pain add more pressure."  Pressure helps relieve pain.  When we're in the depths of our trials and that one other trial pops up and we're looking at the sky and saying, "really? Really?" it's really just the Lord helping to make us stronger.

2.) "Breakdowns come right before the breakthrough."
This was a phrase that a friend of my roommate told someone while in her presence last spring.  Brittany told me about it and I remember thinking, "that's insightful" and then forgetting about it.  But the other day when I felt like I was on the edge of a breakdown I remembered this inspired quote and it hit me again, the hard stuff is just a blessing to help me be better.

3.) Vulnerability is the Root of Joy
Someone suggested to me to watch this TED lecture and it was life changing! Seriously, watch it.  She said something  (a lot of things really) that really resonated with me, "vulnerability is at the core of shame, grief and guilt, BUT it is also the birthplace of joy, relief, creativity, self-discovery, and self-fulfillment. Good gracious that is so true!  She also mentions that people often try to block and buffer vulnerability, but the problem with that is that you cannot stop yourself from feeling the bad emotions without stopping yourself from experiencing all the good as well.

All of these things reminded me of a C.S. Lewis quote, he said, "Pain insists on being attended to.  God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains.  It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

So if you're feeling like life is extra hard right now just bask in the love and attention of the Lord.

In the smart words of Bro. Rich Robbins of the Orem Institute, "I want the hard stuff to come because I don't want to meet Joseph Smith, the handcart pioneers, or for that matter the Savior and only be able to say, 'oh ya know home teaching was really hard.'"