endure it well...

over the last five weeks, i have experienced chronic joint pain. pain in my shoulders, knees, and wrists. i have thought long and hard about what could be causing this. at first it thought, it must be the long days i've been working, on my feet, with terrible shoes, and that it would clear up in a week or so.
when things continued to progress, and blood tests came back, i knew that this had to be a bit more serious then what i had originally thought. luckily, all three blood tests that i've taken have come back negative for rheumatoid arthritis. i was baffled. even the doctors are baffled. what could this possibly be? i've thought from the beginning, that it has to be a virus, and that it would clear up on it's own. but as things continued to worsen, and i became almost immobile, i knew that i needed some help.
i had had a blessing from my dad when we were in slc, but i knew i needed another one. this time for a little comfort and support. i called my friend michael and he and his wife came over and he gave me a blessing.
the most comforting thing about both blessings is that they both said i would be healed. and even though the doctors don't really know what's going on, i know that if i put my faith and trust in the Lord, everything will work out how it's supposed to.
of course our faith is tested when we have trials, so one night i searched "enduring trials" into my gospel library app on my iPad. i saw a talk by elder eyring called "in the strength of the Lord". as i lay in my bed reading, i felt comforted and i knew i would be healed. i don't know when, but i know that by enduring this experience, i will grow and learn from it.
what i have learned so far is the love and support that i have from my family. i don't know if i was/am too proud to admit that i'm hurting, but somehow my mom and dad could sense it and they came right when i needed them. i'm definitely grateful for them and their love.

elder eyring
april 2004-saturday morning session

"as time passes, the world grows more challenging, and our physical capacities slowly diminish with age.  it is clear that we will need more than human strength. the Psalmist was right: ' but the human salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.'"
we have trials to face because our Heavenly Father loves us. his purpose is to help us qualify for the blessing of living with Him, and His Son, Jesus Christ, forever in glory and in families.
'and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.'
that explanation helps us understand why we face trials in life. they give us the opportunity to prove ourselves faithful to God.
so many things beat upon us in a lifetime that simply enduring them may seem almost beyond us. that's what the words in the scripture 'ye must... endure to the end"
it can surely seem that way to a person faced with erosion of health and physical strength which may come early or late in life for them or for those they love. but the test a loving God has set before us is not to see if we can endure difficulty. it is to see if we can endure it well."

this talk gave me a lot of comfort.
and i know that i can endure this trial well.