GOD HELPS US HANDLE WHAT WE'RE GIVEN

 This sign has helped me through a lot. I found it during the fire when I was living in an apartment the insurance company put me up in, now almost six years ago.

I have this sign above my front door. I have to "look up" at it, which is what we should all be doing--looking up, toward heaven, to the One who is always looking out for us.

I found a post I wrote about this from 2019, almost two years after the fire. It still holds true. I'll just paste it here:

I don’t believe God, our Heavenly Father, sits on His throne and throws thunderbolts at us because He thinks we can handle it. 

 

First, I believe we volunteered for our, sometimes, extremely hard missions on earth while in the pre-existence. We were all valiant spirits of a loving Father and Mother. We knew we were loved and cherished. We knew earth life was going to be hard. 

 

Second, I believe the adversary is the one who throws thunderbolts at us and taunts us with ideas, like we can’t possibly handle our issues. He hates us. He wants us to fail. He wants us to be like him—miserable . . . despicable . . .

 

Third, our loving Heavenly Father made sure we had agency to choose right from wrong. He knew sometimes we would make wrong choices, but guess what? He doesn’t always step in to stop us if it looks like we’re on the wrong path. Agency was a great gift to us and it’s a test. Only the valiant and loving and good of heart can inherit His kingdom. 

 

Fourth, He sent His only-begotten Son to earth to atone for our sins—to pay the ransom for us if we do stray from the righteous path. As a loving Father, He helps us handle what we are given. What do good fathers do? Throw thunderbolts at their kids? No! If you have adult kids, you understand you can’t make their choices for them, but you can guide them, and help them handle the consequences—no matter what they are. 

 

Fifth, even though we volunteered for some challenges before earth life, sometimes, we pay consequences that aren’t a result of choices we made. Others can make choices that affect us, too. These choices can take away our agency—our own and/or someone else’s. We all have a Plan. If someone’s choice takes away our agency—our Life Plan—it’s a real sin. And sometimes we do make bad choices. 

 

I’m thankful for my Savior, who paid the price for all of us. I only pray I’m worthy of His sacrifice.

I know this to be true. I’ve been through some awful consequences in the last ten years that were not by my choice. But I know my Heavenly Father helped me through them. He sent me the Holy Ghost to lead, guide, and comfort me. He gave me amazing friends and family who stood by me and loved me through all my heartache and trials. These are what I call “walking angels on earth.” Perhaps you have the privilege of knowing some.

 

Do you think I could have possibly handled all of those thunderbolts thrown at me by myself? No way!

Only with the help—and love—of God could I ever have handled it.