Today at church we talked about “hope” and “trials”. I think that they go hand in hand with each other. Trials while difficult are exercises in faith building and endurance – we grow and overcome.
One quote that stood out to me, was a quote read from Elder Quentin L. Cook’s November 2008 General Conference talk entitled: “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time.”
We know from the scriptures that some trials are for our good and are suited for our own personal development. We also know that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. It is also true that every cloud we see doesn’t result in rain.
[Quentin L. Cook, “‘Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time’,” Ensign, Nov 2008, 102–6]
It really struck me that often we feel like we’re being “picked on” when we are going through constant struggles and trials. Yet, there is scriptural and real life evidence that trials are followed by blessings. The is also scriptural evidence that we are not picked out of a crowd, that we’re not being picked on. Trials are for our growth, and our “moment” does not always happen when it is convenient or in spite of the fact that we may be on rough spot number ten for the year. When we encounter our trials, is when we need them most.
I personally think that the “clouds” are our warnings that trials are looming, whether in the near or distant future. Sometimes the clouds don’t yield rain because we’ve heeded the warnings and have taken action.
This does not make the trials any easier to bear, but fortunately we are taught that the Lord will never allow us to carry more than we can bear. He is kind and merciful. If we are faithful, he will protect and carry us. If we screw up and we “repent,” we are forgiven.
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