Humans love water. Not just to drink or bathe in, but to enjoy. We sail, ski, surf, and swim in water. We like crashing waves, thundering waterfalls, beautiful fjords, and life-giving rain. Real estate prices go up the closer you are to a lake or an ocean, with its gentle lapping on the shore.
And we all appreciate the tides, the constant motion of the sea, where more than 90 per cent of Earth’s creatures live. We pray for rain on our crops, moisture in the mountains, and snow to replenish our reservoirs.
Where would we be without water? And yet, water can be dangerous—hurricanes, floods, and other calamities have given us great respect for the powers of nature. We stockpile emergency supplies “in the event of.”
There’s something else that resembles the constant rising of the tides, the rolling in of storms. It’s adversity. Not one of us will escape life without challenges, some of which seem as mountainous as a deadly tsunami.
We all know how to prepare for a natural disaster, but are we equally prepared for the sudden setbacks in life? We don’t like to think about troubles and tragedies; it’s easier to set those thoughts aside and enjoy the positives, right?
However, just as we feel a sweep of peace and contentment when we gather sufficient food and fuel for a disaster, we’ll feel strength and confidence to meet our challenges when we have prepared spiritually for the misfortunes of life.
How can we do this? How can we set aside a year’s supply of faith, or an extra box of resilience? In our last General Conference, President Nelson gave us the now-famous slogan, “Think Celestial.” Truly this mind-set can help us view problems in their proper perspective. Many mishaps that once seemed earth-shattering can now be seen as unimportant in the eternities. This is a great bar against which to measure our problems.
Our leaders have given us other tools, as well.
First, building a “rock solid” testimony gives us a sturdy place to lean when life blindsides us. “Stay in the boat” and “Hold to the rod” are phrases we can draw upon to help us persevere. And, by sharing that testimony, it grows stronger.
Second, daily nourishment from the scriptures gives us personal revelation when we need it most. We open up a conduit of help when we immerse ourselves in the scriptures. Taking time to meditate and ponder also invites the Holy Ghost to console us and advise us.
Third, making our prayers more like genuine conversations, we join forces with the Lord to accomplish His goals—and those become foremost in priority. Our prayers can be places of solace, moments of comfort in the bleakest of times.
Making the Sacrament a holy time of reflection and repentance, of re-commitment and closeness to the Lord, gives us yet more preparation to ride our storms of affliction.
We’ve been given loving ward families to rally and help when disaster strikes. Those who serve today may be those served tomorrow, as we each take a turn with life’s tides of struggle.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said, “It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop.” By building our faith now, we have reserves for those trying moments we can’t predict. The closer we draw to our Savior, the stronger we will be for the fight.
None of us enjoy tribulation—but all of us can learn from it. Think how many trials you’ve endured, and what you’ve learned from each. You’re a wiser friend to others and a better listener, after all that life experience.
Sometimes we wish for an easier life, for things to simply calm down at last. But, just as with water, we don’t grow and learn from being stagnant. In fact, just as still water becomes dangerous with bacteria, mold, and insects, a stagnant life becomes the breeding ground for despair, sadness, complacency, and lack of initiative. We really grow and thrive better when life keeps moving along, even with its challenges.
Comfort and hope really can be stockpiled. We can’t always control the adversity that comes into our life, but we can control the heart we have when we meet it. By keeping the Savior at the center of our lives, we can ride out the storm. And we can remember what Elder Neil L. Andersen once said, “At times we thoughtfully wonder why the miracle we have so earnestly prayed for does not happen … Whether in this life or the next, all will be made right.”
I trust those words. I trust the Lord’s love. And I trust that we cannot have a better partner than Jesus Christ, to help us navigate safely home again.
Joni Hilton is an LDS author, Seminary teacher, and shares life hacks at http://bit.ly/YourYouTubeMom.