Well, I guess I needed a break during January. Now I feel ready to get going again. I have been thinking a lot about why joy is so illusive. I believe that “Man is that he might have joy,” as modern-day scripture testifies but I feel like I have been playing hide-and-seek with joy for my whole life. I have often felt like Anne of Green Gables, who is overjoyed one minute and positively depressed the next, slightly bi-polar.
What is interesting to me is how the Savior had to descend below all things before he could rise to the highest heights. One of our latter-day hymns entitled, “Come, Follow Me,” says, “Is it enough alone to know That we must follow him below, While traveling thru this vale of tears? No, this extends to holier spheres.” Then it goes on to say, “Not only shall we emulate His course while in this earthly state, But when we’re freed from present cares, If with our Lord we would be heirs.” I am beginning to accept that in order to feel the joy, we have to feel the sorrow. There is no other way around it.
There are ups and downs in this life that we must submit to, in order to become like Him. We must give ourselves over to Him and descend, in order for Him to take us to new heights. I have often thought how much I resist the downward direction. I have sometimes felt like I am falling into a deep well and am grappling with the walls of the well, trying to claw a hold in them to keep myself from falling. In my life I have wasted soooo much energy resisting. If I could learn to take the Lord’s hand, trust Him as I fall…I know He would lead me to the softest possible landing and teach me what I need to know so that He can lift me out again…but it is so scary.
My February challenge is for you to advise me on how to trust Him when I face a downward cycle. I would love any and all advice. Just leave it in the comments.
Thanks,
Christy
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