Well, let's get down to it! First question is: “Why Me?”
Now this is a great question and my interpretation of this
question is: why is bad stuff happening to me or my family or my friends? And
to answer that question I want to first address something that is really
important: GOD LOVES YOU! Now I know the all caps was a little much but in
order to get that across I want you to see it plain as day that He loves you
soo much! And He will never stop loving you. Now, why do things happen why do
we have to suffer or have hard times of loss or depression? Well that is
something that I faced almost daily for several months in a hospital room. I
had a brain tumor and had multiple diseases from it and so I had reason to be
bitter and curse God for what He had done and I wanted to just die because
everything was SO hard!! I asked Why me God!?! Why me?! But after tears and
crying out in pain and long lonesome nights, I found out why. Because of the
love that God has for me and because of that knowledge, I came to realize that
everything I went through was so that I could live my life with a different
point of view and with a new sense of life and of the Atonement of Jesus
Christ. I realized that God gave me one day more to live, to breathe, to enjoy
life and to experience a new perspective!
Now, I know life isn't just peachy and that you just sit
there all day drinking Pina Coladas, but I believe that through the tough
stuff, through the hard times and through our darkest hour, we grow closer to
Heavenly Father and we more fully feel His love for us. I also feel that my
greatest Joy has come from times that have been the hardest and from times that
were the most challenging. So why does bad stuff happen if the Lord loves us so
much? Well it isn't out of anger or whether He likes someone better than
someone else, or if He is cursing us for doing something wrong and I want to
make it clear that that all of those ideas in entirety are not true,
but the truth is that there is opposition in all things. There HAS to be good
and evil or God would cease to exist. And God knew that we would go through
these things because of this. So he gave us a way to learn from our mistakes and
through the power of the Atonement, increase our relationship with our Father
in Heaven.
I realize now that it was through the darkest
hour that I came to realize that the question I should be asking is
not: Why me? But: Why not me? And that is where service comes in. For it
is through lifting others that the Lord lifts us.
Second, Why Now?
So this question is like the last one but in a different
light. Why Now? Well there are several answers that I believe help answer this
important and serious question. So first is: Plain and simple, it is God's
will. He is in control and knows all things. As our Father in Heaven, He knows what’s
best for us and even though it may seem like the wrong time and place for
something to happen it is what the Lord wants because He knows better than you
or I. Sometimes we face challenges like death of a loved one, disease, tragedy,
natural disasters, war, and the list goes on. These may seem really inopportune
and really hard to deal with. But one of the reasons we may go through these
things is so we can learn to take on challenges with a new sense of direction
and experience. A fabulous quote and example of this is given by one of my
favorite inspirational speakers, John G. Bytheway and yes it is pronounced just
the way it sounds, "by the way". He is an amazing speaker and as
given some great advice about this and about learning from hard times and I
quote: "Wise people learn from their own experience. Super Wise people
learn from Others' experience." So when we take on these challenges with
our own experience and the experience of others', we can more easily take the
challenge with a positive attitude and outlook. Another answer to this question
is that each of us is uniquely different from everybody else and that isn't a
bad thing but it means that each of us has a different plan or even a different
path to take. The goal is ultimately the same but getting there is unique to
each of us. Just like with my cancer I lead a different life and walk a
different path then most of my friends, I realize that each of us have
different feelings and emotions and with those characteristics comes a
different path. That is why sometimes things may happen and sometimes it may
seem like bad timing but in the big scheme of things it can make a world of
difference. I want to share an experience that is specific to missionary work
and before I talk about this I want you to know that we can all be a kind of
missionary if we set the example and follow the example of Jesus Christ.
So, back
to the experience, as I was being treated for my cancer, many of my friends,
who were being treated alongside me, had a rough go at cancer and some had been
at it for years!! One friend in particular who was very special to me was Ronell Ragbir. I met Ronell as
I was being treated. She was a tough girl and had been battling cancer in her
leg far longer than I was battling. She was always a shining example and she
never gave up her fight against cancer. As we became friends I taught her about
the Gospel of Jesus Christ through example and through quiet acts of kindness.
She was a wonderful friend who shared with me that anyone can change and no
matter what we have done that Jesus Christ is there for us. I am so grateful to
have been her friend and when she died, from her horrible disease I felt
unhappy and felt that I had failed as an example. But I prayed for her and
asked that she might find the truth and might feel of God's love for her as she
was in the Spirit world. Some years later after my treatment and after Ronell's
Death, I was sitting, studying in my scriptures. As i did, I felt a strong
impression that Ronell was okay and that things would be okay with her and that
I shouldn't worry.
I knew and know now that she has found the Truth and has
found peace beyond this life. It brought me great peace and knew that Heavenly
Father had helped me to feel peace. Now this experience was hard and at times I
really wish I had got to know Ronell better and better befriend her, but I
understand that God had a plan for her and that although things did not work
out like I expected, I know that things will be okay. This is how it is with
this question that sometimes we ask "Why Now?", “Why Me?" And
sometimes life is unfair and sometimes seems cruel and I know it is hard but if
you have faith in God and in what He wants for us, then He will guide us and
help us through experiences that can change our lives for the better and will
lead us to times of peace and Joy! It is hard, it is tough but God can help
you know why these things are happening and how they can change your
perspective, life and heart. It will be alright in the end. The Promise that
God gives is that we will have Eternal Life if we follow the Gospel of
Jesus Christ.
One last thing, you may experience some hard stuff in your
life or you may have experienced things already, but if you wonder why or find yourself
asking these questions, I plead with you to pray to Heavenly Father. Your
answer will come if you have faith and do your part to be ready for that answer
by reading the scriptures and by repenting of your sins. It may take time and
you may not receive your answer but know that God will help you in some way
known or unknown and that he will come to your aid if you are ready and worthy
to receive it. I know it and have seen God answer my own prayers and know that
He will answer your own in one way or another. Take a leap of faith! I promise
it will be worth it!
-Elder
Sheets
