Adjust the Sails.

Yesterday in church someone shared this quote, and I'm sure I've heard it before but I have decided it is my new life motto.

Read the whole talk here

Life can be so hard. It was never meant to be easy. We signed up for this. We wanted to come here, knowing that there was going to be sickness, heartache, death, disappointment, temptations, failure, etc. etc. etc! Why would anyone choose to have those things happen to them?! Because without these horrible, awful, no good things that happen to us we wouldn't appreciate the good things. If every single day was a good day, we wouldn't really have good days anymore. We wouldn't even know what "good" is. We have to go through sorrow to experience and know joy. And joy is worth it don't you think? 

But we don't just experience trials so we can know joy, we go through these hard things so we can change and grow and become better. Bad things are going to happen to us. It's a fact of life. We have been told since we were kids that "life isn't fair." But it is our REACTION to these trials, not the trials themselves, that determine our happiness. 

I have seen people who go through things that are unimaginable to me. I look at them and think, "how do you even get out of bed in the morning?" I have one particular friend who lost her mom to cancer. Her mom happened to be my young women's leader at church. She used to pick me up from high school every day, just me, because I didn't have a way to get home. She was truly the most kind-hearted, loving, and Christ-like person I have ever known. She had a light and a goodness that I have never seen in anyone but her. When she passed away, I felt so angry. Why her? She had 4 young daughters and was such an amazing wife and mother. It simply wasn't fair. I had a really hard time with it. But then I would see my friend, even a few days after she lost her mom, smiling and laughing and accepting the Lord's will. She couldn't change the fact that she lost her mom too young, but she could adjust her sails. She chose to be happy, despite her trial. She chose to rely on Heavenly Father for strength. Her reaction to adversity has impacted me more than she could ever know.

Sometimes I find myself complaining and struggling to be happy when I'm going through something hard. I let my trials drag me down and cause me so much unhappiness. But I really want to be like my friend. I want to look adversity in the face and say, "you don't have power over me!" I want to be happy and grateful, even when life isn't going according to plan and bad things happen. I want to focus on the good and come out stronger because of my trials.

I know I say I blog for my future kids, but I also blog for future Hannah. Future Hannah, I know you have been through some really hard and unfair things. But keep your chin up, pray for Heavenly Father's help, focus on the good and come out stronger. Learn from these hard things you've been handed. Adjust your sails.