Another newsletter article. Someday I'll start blogging again...promise...
Like so many of us, my mother-in-law has a water and ice dispenser in her refrigerator door. As she lives in Chandler, and I always seem to be thirsty when I'm there, I'm at her refrigerator a lot. As I fill my cup, I read the various clippings and sayings she has on her door. The one that has been up there the longest is this one by President Gordon B. Hinkley:
"Keep trying. Be believing. Be happy. Don’t get discouraged. Things will work out.”
This simple statement stays with me long after I've quenched my thirst. To me, it is the essence of why we're here on the earth, and the key to our success.
We live in trying times. It is so easy to get discouraged when we look around us and see the state of the world in which we live. It is easy to wallow in misery when we think of our trials and how difficult life can be at times. That is exactly what the adversary wants us to do, and he delights when we are miserable.
We have been told that our purpose on earth is to be happy. We have also been told that we will be tried and tested while on the earth. How we choose to react to difficult times is the true measure of a successful life. We may not get to choose what happens to us, but we ALWAYS have a choice as to how we react.
A positive attitude, faith in Jesus Christ, and keeping an "eternal perspective" will get us through the trying times with flying colors. I believe with complete conviction that things will work out for our benefit. I know that our trials make us stronger people, better members of the Church, and more readily equipped to empathize with those around us.
