Stormy Seas

We all know that life is a series of tests. Every day I hear about someone going through something new and terrible. I was talking to a friend the other day about a situation someone is in. My friend said to me, "At least you don't have any trials Kelly. I never have to worry about you."

I wanted to start laughing. Really? EVERYONE has trials. Sure, I am not living in some obscure part of the world with no food and no money, I don't have a life threatening disease, I am not growing up in a war torn government. But I sure have things that are very challenging for me. I guess my battles are a lot more internal most of the time so they are not so obvious.

Don't get me wrong. I live the fairy tale life. I have the greatest husband and kids, a great house and live in the most beautiful valley in the world. I have so many people that I love dearly though that struggle so badly with very hard things daily. I was blessed with a measure of empathy and I can feel every hurt they have. That is a challenge for me.

I could sit here and find everything that makes me mad or makes me feel bad and create ways in my mind that life stinks. I CHOOSE not to. I choose to see the miracles around me every day. I choose to see the hand of God in everything. (because it's there, people.)

In the Book of Mormon, in the book of Ether, it talks about the Jaredites being locked up in their barges out on the sea, with the storms raging all around them. They could have been mad they were locked up in the barges and mad that there was a storm but they had faith that those storms were blowing them TOWARD the promised land. Do we choose to just feel the storm or do we see that we are being pushed where we need to be?

The Lord has never let me down. I know that I am one woman living in Utah and that my influence will most likely never reach the far corners of the earth. I can, however, make a difference here, everyday, by choosing my attitude and inspiring others around me to do the same. Bottom line, life is not always easy. But for me, it sure is good.