Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. All that we suffer … builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven …”
This quote was shared multiple times during conference this past weekend. I don't think it was intended to be applied to parenting, but I thought much about the pain and suffering the trials, the patiences and the faith required to raise children, It is not easy, for me anyway. But according to Orson, there is a purose to it all. How would we learn and grow if everything in life was easy. If we didn't have to wok at it? The Lord has a plan for each of us. He knows us and loves us. He knew that I would struggle as a parent, but I don't think He gave me a bunch of rambuncious boys so he could sit up in Heaven or wherever and laugh at me as I fail at raising them. If nothing else, he loves them too much to let me fail without a chance of improvement, of learning and growth.
My mission president, Kent Richards used this quote first in this conference, he was talking about the purpose of feeling pain. We need to feel physical and spiritual pain so we can develop and grow. As we suffer, we become stronger. Our faith grows and we can come closer to our Father in Heaven. The Savior knows exactly how I feel on hard days. When I am so over whelmed that all I can do is yell, and that can change. I am determined to get to that point.
I am going to focus on the growth that can come through my struggles. To learn from them so I can get past them and enjoy the journey.
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