Trials or Blessings

Someone posted this quote on their Facebook and it really stood out to me, "What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise." -Oscar Wilde. I don't know who Oscar Wilde is but I fully agree with him. I have had these experiences over and over again.

The first one that I really remember recognizing the Lord's hand in something like this was a time when I was suppose to be flying down to CA to visit my family. I ended up getting quite sick on the day that I was suppose to head down so I didn't end up making it. I was so very disappointed and was wishing that I could have gone. Then a few days later I started having problems with my pregnancy at the time and I was able to go in to my doctors and get the care that I needed. I was grateful for a Heavenly Father who knew what was best for me and made sure that I was where I was suppose to be. Since that time I have often looked for the blessing in whatever trial I have been going through and I have seen so many blessings in disguise.

In church on Sunday we were reading in D&C 122: 5-8. In this scripture the Prophet Joseph is receiving revelation while in Liberty Jail. It lists a bunch of trials that the Prophet had to endure. The one that stood out to me the most was in verse 6, "if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you?". It listed many other awful things that the prophet had to endure but at the end it says, "know thou, my son, that all these things shall give you experience, and shall be or thy good". Then it goes on to say, "The son of man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?"

Wow! I have never had to endure such great trials as either Joseph or Christ but whatever trials I do go through, I know are for my good. I also love that it says they give us experience. I don't think I have ever gained faith without an experience (or many!) to go along with it. What a great blessing!  The next time you think you are going through a trial, try to stop and look at it and see if you can find the blessing. You might be surprised by what you find.