We can't give in and we can't give up. Some days it's all we can do to put one foot in front of the other, but if that's all we can do then we can count that as a victory and keep moving on, trusting and hoping, waiting for the storm to pass.
As I've been talking to some friends lately, we've all commented on how life has changed for us, the different paths that we have taken, and the unexpected bumps and turns along the way. Sometimes it can be so frustrating to think that we have figured out our path only to find that life leads us in an entirely new direction. At times we can all feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland, not knowing where we are going or who we are anymore; feeling like things just aren't going the way we want them to no matter how hard we try. So how do we keep moving on? How do we keep persevering when things don't seem to be going our way? I found a simple answer to these questions from a quote by Robert Frost who said, "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
Sometimes life can really tear us down. We can be hurt, betrayed, broken, and feel overwhelmed by despair. Life can throw at us unexpected heartbreaks and challenges, and even though it may not feel like it at the moment, we have to remember that life goes on. Bridges that were burned can be rebuilt and hearts can be healed. It may be hard to pick ourselves back up, but that is what we need to do. We can't give in and we can't give up. Some days it's all we can do to put one foot in front of the other, but if that's all we can do then we can count that as a victory and keep moving on, trusting and hoping, waiting for the storm to pass.
Not always does the healing or the solutions we want come right away, but peace is available in the midst of our trials. Elder Bruce D. Porter once noted, "Trials may come, and we may not understand everything that happens to us or around us. But if we humbly, quietly trust in the Lord, He will give us strength and guidance in every challenge we face. When our only desire is to please Him, we will be blessed with a deep inner peace" The Savior is the ultimate source of peace and comfort. He understands our pain and sorrow. He knows what it is like to have our hopes dashed and our dreams crushed. He is always there and always ready to grant us the peace and the strength to carry on. He can provide an "anchor for our souls" (Ether 12:4).
One of my favorite scriptures is in John 16:33 where Christ says "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." Challenges, disappointments, and tribulations are a natural part of life and change is one thing that we can count on. But with Christ's help we can make it through. While things may seem terrible at the moment, as time passes and life goes on, things will get better and be brighter for us.
To end, I just want to share one song that has really helped me in my struggles which is Blessings by Laura Story. It is a really beautiful song and I love the message and the hope that it brings. The lyrics are:
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise
God's mercies are real and His love is abundant. He can turn any situation to our good and He will never abandon us. We just need to let Him in.