Tests

So I went out to lunch with a good friend from work today. She is having some trials in her life that are a bit difficult to deal with so we got started talking about trials in general and I had a little epiphany about my own struggles in life.

I think it's fair to say I'm a pretty impatient person. Once I make up my mind to do something, I have a hard time waiting...I just want to jump in with both feet and get it done. I don't like waiting to become good at something and I'm terribly impatient when it comes to waiting for other people to get things accomplished or learn something.

It seems that a lot of the trials I've had in my life seem to run along a common theme. That being the "stick it out/endure to the end" sort of theme...most likely because this is one of the most difficult things for me to do because of that impatient nature.

I have about 5 million examples of how I can see this looking back through different things I have experienced, but the most recent one would be with being pregnant. I went over my due date 2 weeks with both my girls. While this doesn't prove anything, to me it was a huge hardship. (Yes I know many women go through this and survive just fine...but I'm pontificating here...) Having to wait the 40 weeks was excruciating...then adding 2 more on top of that AND having to get induced were just like nails in the coffin. It killed me having to stick it out that long. And while I realize there are other women with much greater trials and there were a lot of things that could have been worse, for ME, it was a big deal. Being huge and miserable was bad enough, but add to that my inability to wait for things and you get a someone who feels like the entire world is against her.

I guess after all that gibberish, my point is that Heavenly Father knows us and knows what our weaknesses are. Because of that He gives us the trials that will specifically test and help us improve our own individual flaws. I have seen time and time again how each thing I have struggled with has helped me overcome or strengthen a specific weakness. It is amazing to me to look back and just how well suited each of these trials have been to me and what I needed to learn at that particular time in my life.

I am so grateful that we have these experiences, and that we know they are coming in love with the intent of helping us reach our full potential as children of God. What great love He has for us. How well He knows us. It is truly humbling to realize how involved He is with each and every individual life.