Why is it that no matter what you do, no matter what painstaking efforts you make to keep it all together…the laundry will be finished and you will inevitably have only one pair to every sock you washed? Does the dryer eat a sock as payment for its hard work? Or are you simply cursed with bad luck?
It is easy to sometimes ask; why despite our best efforts do things simply not come out right?
Does this mean that God punishes His children? Or turns his back on them for a time so that they can learn?
Neither of these things are true of course. God never punishes or turns his back on us, He does however want to give us opportunities to learn since that is the purpose of our existence, but He will never leave us alone or unaided. God is a merciful God who “delights to own and bless us.”
In a talk by President Dallin H Oaks entitled Adversity, He poses the question; “Adversity will be a constant or occasional companion for each of us throughout our lives. We cannot avoid it. The only question is how we will react to it. Will our adversities be stumbling blocks or stepping stones?
How will we react too occasions in life that do not turn out the way we planned? We have all had days, months or even years that disappoint, annoy and even sometimes bring our world crashing down. In these moments, we then have the opportunity; as with everything in life, to choose. We choose how we respond to problems, adversities and every day life disappointments. Will we grow or will we become lost?
“The Lord uses adversities to send messages to his children…They can turn men’s hearts to God… Even as adversities inflict mortal hardships, they can also be the means of leading men and women to eternal blessings.
We came to mortal life to encounter resistance. It was part of the plan for our eternal progress. Without temptation, sickness, pain, and sorrow, there could be no goodness, virtue, appreciation for well-being, or joy. [CR, April 1980, p. 34]
One of my favorite Psalms is 136:1 which reads; “ O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
God is a God of mercy. He helps us to become who we need to become through everyday experiences; the good along with the bad. We may occasionally endure moments of frustration like loosing a sock to the dryer monster and then sometimes we will traverse through some of life’s most excruciating experiences. But in every trial, every frustration, every moment of pain and anxiety we have a loving Father in Heaven who watches over us, sends His tender mercies; and will in the end, heal every wound and reward every faithful disciple beyond their capacity to understand.
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