I appreciated Joy’s testimony where she expressed her gratitude for failure, which I have done so much of lately. I was struck the other day by the idea that God often gives us trials so that His hand may be manifest. And so, again my heart turns to God and is quieted by knowing failing is righted through Him – that it draws me closer to Him, and that I am a tryer - which means I am often a failure. . . but trying I will not stop.
I feel like Christ wants us to get to know Him better – a process we can choose to commit to through trial, although sometimes it is easier to just shut off. Brent added, “and to get to know ourselves” . .. which is beautiful, to me – to think that whatever happens, we prove ourselves to ourselves.
The President spoke words on solitude and how in all the epic moments in Christ’s life he was significantly alone. I think of my own solitude, and how often I feel like the city is swallowing me whole. His words helped me to realize what a milestone NY is in my journey: Forging through the paperwork, commuting miles, hours of practicing to finish my degree even after getting married and having my husband so far away . . . this is not easy. The solitude is often suffocating and for a moment I thought how oft our Savior stood alone, and how well he knows my own little feelings of loneliness.
So it was a beautiful Sunday where I was reminded of the good of Failure, given some perspective in aloneness, and how, after we live through it all – we really do learn how strong we can be in Him.