In the world of nature, hard is part of the circle of life. It is hard for a baby chick to hatch out of that tough eggshell. But when someone tries to make it easier, the chick does not develop the strength necessary to live.

In a similar way, the struggle of a butterfly to escape the cocoon strengthens it for the life it will live.

Through these examples, we see that hard is the constant! We all have challenges. The variable is our reaction to the hard.

The question “Do we trust Him?” may be better stated, “Do we have the faith to trust Him?”

Do we have sufficient faith to trust that He will visit us in our afflictions?

Will we exercise the faith necessary to keep His commandments so He can bless us both temporally and spiritually? And will we continue faithful to the end so that He can receive us into His presence? - Stanley G. Ellis

👉 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞.

Sometimes, in spite of all we do to “make weak things become strong,” the Lord, in His infinite wisdom, does not take away our weakness.

The Apostle Paul struggled throughout his life with “a thorn in the flesh,” which he said served to humble him “lest [he] should be exalted above measure” (2 Cor. 12:7).

Three times Paul asked the Lord to take away his weakness, and three times the Lord declined to do so.

The Lord then explained that His grace was sufficient for Paul and that, in fact, His strength was actually “made perfect in weakness.”

Then Paul wrote, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:9–10).

Like Paul, we can find positive meaning in weaknesses that are not taken away. Surely nothing is quite as humbling as having a weakness that we cannot overcome but must continue to struggle with throughout our life.

Such a weakness teaches us, in a very personal way, that after all we can do we must rely on the grace of Christ to make up the difference.

As we humbly submit our will to the Lord’s, we find that our weaknesses can indeed become sources of strength if we put our trust in Him. - Anne C. Pingree

👉 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞.

I have a very, very independent personality.

I’ve found asking for help challenging — even from my husband — because unless I deem it unsolvable through my best efforts, I won’t ask for assistance.

So when I found myself struggling on something, I kept it for months. I thought “Let me resolve this on my own. I don’t want to bother my husband muna...”

But last night, I let it all out.

I cried. Hard.

With tears and sipon, I told him “I just want to feel Heavenly Father’s love...”

My sweet, sweet spouse then told me “This is what your husband’s arms are for...”

And I cried even harder. Lol.

Because for months, I thought that despite my prayers, heaven felt closed.

I prayed that Heavenly Father will make me feel His love.

And I used to think that love would only be expressed through that warm feeling I used to feel pre-anxiety.

And for someone with anxiety, and constant worry, that feeling began to feel elusive.

But when my husband told me na his arms are meant to make me feel Heaven’s love, I began to realize the many instances Heavenly Father made me feel His love through my husband.

The warm embrace during anxiety attacks.

My son’s little hands wiping my tears away.

Friends and family who check on me.

Strangers-turned-friends who would never hesitate to send a message, say kind words, and offer help. Some of you are here!

I had a very, very limited idea of how the Lord’s love can be expressed.

I realized yesterday that each expression of love sent my way is always heaven-inspired, heaven-sent, and tailor-made for me by Heavenly Father.

And just thinking about that makes my heart grateful.

So if heaven feels far, sisters, remember that there are arms around us who will make us feel that heaven’s love is always near.

Indeed it's true - heaven's love is always within reach.

👉 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞.

You are never too young to learn, never too old to change.

Your yearnings to learn and change come from a divinely instilled striving for eternal progression.

Each day is a day of decision, and our decisions determine our destiny.

One day each of us will stand before the Lord in judgment. We will each have a personal interview with Jesus Christ. - Russell M. Nelson

👉 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞.

One reason we may not want to acknowledge our personal limitations is that weakness is perceived by society as a fault or a failure.

The world values the cult of the invincible. Superheroes, from Batman to Superman, abound in our media.

This ideology leads to dangerous behavior. We see people who want to hide their problems under the appearance of strength through boasting, aggressiveness, or abusive behaviors.

Some are so obsessed with outperforming others that they turn to drugs or other stimulants in order to do so.

Still others lose themselves in egotism and self-admiration. These forms of pride lead to disappointment, ineffectiveness, or worse.

God is not the God of superheroes, nor of people without weaknesses. Such beings do not exist!

God helps people like you and me, those who recognize their limits and the weakness of their condition and seek His help and guidance.

Failing to recognize our limitations will block our progression. On the other hand, accepting them humbly lays the foundation for eternal progression. - Gérald Caussé

👉 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞.