You know how some Sundays when you go to church the lessons just seem to be as tho' Heavenly Father had you in mind specifically.  Well that is what today was like for me.  I've had what I've felt like is a particularly hard adult life and today's talks and lessons helped remind me how to put this all into perspective.

Today in Sacarment Meeting the talks were on Reverence.  One dictionary defines reverence as "profound respect mingled with love and devotion."  Giving reverence to the Lord allows us to hear the Holy Spirit and have him with us to COMFORT, teach and guide us.  I've felt that comfort during my trials, how much more difficult my trials would have been had I not had the comfort of the Spirit.

All the lessons today built on each other.  In Sunday School we are studying the Old Testiment.  We were in Jeremiah today.  We talked about how difficult it was even for the prophets, who were obedient, as they followed the Lord's will.  In Jeremiah's case to tell Jerusalem (including the king, princes and priests) that because they had fallen away from the lord and would not repent that they were going to be killed or carried away captive into Babylon.  Yeah, I wouldnt have been eager to tell them, but he did what the Lord asked.  For his trouble he was cast into prision and they wanted to kill him.  The jist of the lesson was just because we follow the Lord doesnt mean our lives will be easy, look at those faithful prophets, most of who sealed their testimonies with their blood.

Our Relief Socity lesson was Faithfully Enduring Trials and Opposition.  Most of us whine when things get hard, hey I'll be the first to say that I do.  I'm working on it.  Quote from the lesson "It appears plain that it is God's purpose to suffer his children to be thoroughly tried and tested, so that they may prove their integrity and know the character of the foundation upon which they build"...."It is impossible...for the saints of God to inherit a celestial kingdom without their being tried as to whether they will abide in the covenants of the lord or not."   Our trials and stuggles help to strengthen us, to build our character, to prepare us for living with Our Father in Heaven.  Much as the butterfly must struggle to come out of the cocoon.  If we make it easy for the butterfly and cut the coccon open so he can come out with ease his wings will stay shriveled up and he will never fly and will be doomed to die because he can not fly.  When he struggles to come out of the cocoon, it forces some of the fluids from his body into the veins in his wings and his wings are opened and expanded and they will then, after they dry, give him flight.  Much the same way we are going through the refiners fire, not to give us pain but to help us learn and grow, to strengthen and build our faith.  We are being refined so that we will be all that we can be and so that we will be prepared and worthy to live with him again.

I feel very edified today and I have been strenghtned in my trials to keep going forward and to know that our life here is a but a small time in the scheme of eternity.  I can do anything for a little while, because I know that Jesus Christ is the living son of God and that he does love me and that he wants me to succeed.  And because I love him too.