Abraham and your trial....

Yesterday was a difficult and yet freeing day. I want to thank my God for my trials, my weaknesses, and His strength. For the past several months I have been struggling with missing my best friend. I took a huge step yesterday and realized a great truth with the help of a friend. I got to see a side to my friend and her family that I didn't think possible which helped me see that they are not capable of finding good in me, which allowed me to let go of the hope of her forgiving me. So where is the good news in all of this? I'm sure I'm killing you with boredom of the drama...but here is the major, major, did you hear the word major take away.

In D&C 101:4-5 we learn something interesting. Now go with me for a minute and then I will get to the meat and taters of the scripture. Thinking back to Abraham's day, we know that he and Sarah had the difficult trial of being able to conceive a child. Sarah was heartbroken and devastated and at times doubted the Lord's promise that they would be able to conceive. So one would think that was a pretty hard trial and yet...Yep wait for it...They would later be asked to sacrifice/kill their son that they had waited for for 90 years to conceive. Are you with me here? Imagine that, after all the waiting and heartache and disappointment, then you finally get the son you've waited for only to be asked to sacrifice him.

Ok, so now back to how this pulls into D&C 101:4-5. We are told in these scriptures that we will be required to go through and be chastened and tried even as Abraham who was commanded to offer up his only son. Read below...

 4 Therefore, they must needs be ^achastened and tried, even as^bAbraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son.

 5 For all those who will not ^aendure chastening, but ^bdeny me, cannot be sanctified.

So we are going to at some time be tried and chastened to the level of Abraham. Are you following? And then the second part is our requirement to endure the chastening so we can be sanctified. So pulling it altogether with the quote up top, we get to choose today how we can look at these chastenings as opportunities to grow or obstacles that keep us from growing.

So to wrap this up, I'm choosing to grow.