Lately though, I have really been putting a lot of focus on the Savior and how He can help me overcome the struggles and the pain. That has helped me so much, strengthened my testimony, and has added to my knowledge of the Savior and His Atonement. This knowledge and this testimony brings me peace and doesn't get rid of the struggle or the pain, but it makes it manageable. It gives light and meaning to hardship. When we came to this earth, we knew that we would struggle, be tempted, feel pain, and be tested. That was the purpose for coming here! We have to feel that in order to return to Heavenly Father and live with Him and our families forever. The Savior suffered and felt the pains, struggles, and hardships of the world in the Garden of Gethsemane. We, like Jesus the Christ, have to set foot in Gethsemane if we are to become like Him. We have to. Though we will never feel what He felt or the intensity of that pain, we must get as close to it as humanly possible. It will suck. It will hurt. It will not be fun. It will bring tears to your eyes in sadness and pain, but will be followed by tears of a joyful and peaceful heart. We are loved by so many people and for me, that is how Heavenly Father has healed my wounds, through friends and family.
Since moving to Provo, I have lost friends. Friends that I thought loved me and were there for me. That hurt, but what made it right was the love of those friends and family who truly did love me and who truly did care about me. I was required to be hurt and offended and ridiculed to see that I had much better around me, all along. That hardship was required for me to see my true friends and to weed out the fake and rude people in my life.
I have recently gained a friend who has helped me with my anxiety and has bandaged the wounds. He has been there for me and has alleviated my anxiety and the pain that comes from it. He has become one of my best friends. He has been a blessing from Heavenly Father in that I can trust him and I know that no matter what, he's got my back. That, in and of itself, is the calm after the storm, the light at the end of the tunnel.
I've recently started talking to this girl who makes me smile like no other. That's pretty fresh though and so we will see where that goes :)
Life can be amazing if you focus on what is good in it. There will always be a difficulty or a hardship, but look past it and find the good in everything. Figure out how a certain trial will help you and bring you closer to Heavenly Father. Be happy! Though sometimes that is easier said than done, if we make the choice to be happy, that choice will influence anything that is thrown at us. That choice infuriates the adversary because it brings us closer to God. In the words of Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "come what may, and love it."
To read the talk by Elder Wirthlin, click on this link: Come What May, And Love It
