Feeling Joy in the Midst of Struggle

I grabbed my hand phone when I woke up this morning, and I saw YouTube app notified me that, Mormon Channel has a new video upload – Feeling Joy in the Midst of Struggle.

I was thinking : Ok, this is the video I should watch now and especially what have I been through now. Thus, I just clicked in…

“The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives, and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”

~ President Russell M. Nelson

This was the first quote that Abby Stephen shared with the audience and she began with her struggle in her life. She was 23 years old and engaged to marry the love of her life, Cole. But one week before the “big day” their lives changed forever. While they were on a road trip together, Cole accidentally veered the car toward oncoming traffic, and then he overcorrected and flipped the car. Abby was rushed to the hospital with a broken neck. She and Cole were told that she was quadriplegic and would never walk again.

During the difficult days and months that followed, Abby wondered if she’d ever feel happy again. So, she decided that instead of feeling sorry for herself, she’d try to shift her focus to feelings of gratitude. Was she happy all the time? Of coarse not. Were there tears of heartache and frustration? Yes.

“If we sit in and dwell on all the pain, sorrow, angers, disappointments, heartaches and frustration, that is exactly what we would continue to feel…Instead of I allowed myself to feel of those things, then shifted my focus to happier things and my faith in Jesus Christ.” Abby said.

Abby shared about 3 of the things which can make us happier and allow to feel joy in the midst of her trials:

“The first thing I focus on is Gratitude. As bad as my circumstances were I chose to be grateful…I was grateful to be alive. I was grateful that my family and my fiancé were there to love and support me and to pray with me and for me. I was so grateful for my faith and testimonies of the loving Savior because that was going to get me through this trial. So what do you to have to be grateful for?”

“…Focusing on the things that we have to be grateful for would always allow us to feel joy when life is hard.”

“The second thing I focus on is Positive Thoughts. Instead of focusing what I can no longer do… I visualized myself on all the things I want to do… If I found myself dwelling in the negative things, I would immediately find something positive things to think about. And through it all, prayers is a constant.”

“There is power in faith and positivity…I chose to be positive attitude with all my heart because of our faith in Jesus Christ, a miracle was happening right before our eyes.”

“We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.”

~ President Thomas S. Monson

“Throughout all these things, we learned that the third thing we can find joy is Humour. Learning to laugh through in the toughest moment is an absolute necessity to find joy.”

“The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.”

~ Marjorie Pay Hinckley

“In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.”

~ President Gordon B. Hickley

I felt amazed and I can feel that Heavenly Father is talking to me through this message. He knows me very well, even better than myself. He is asking me to feel joy instead of dwelling with the sadness myself.

I am lack of positive attitude and I always feel pessimistic with a sad face and mind in everything I do. And, here comes the Lord sending me a message on telling me where should I improve. These two are the weaknesses, which have been within me for years. I am aware about it but just did not do anything about it, as I did not treat it as weaknesses instead may be it formed part of my own characters.

Now, the Lord tells me that I have to change and be positive and laugh often. And, most of all trying to feel the joy in the midst of my struggles in having faith in Him, focus on gratitude and be positive thinking and learn to laugh my way through the hard time.

I could not agree more that this is definitely and truly from the Lord. He knows what are best for me. I need to repent to Heavenly Father for the things that had blinded my eyes and my ears, and most importantly start to work on it.

This reminds me of one of the scriptures, Ether 12:27 : “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weaknesses. I give unto men weaknesses that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

Heavenly Father really hears me. He answered my prayers. He knows what have I going through, and all these I have been through right now He wants me to grow to be the daughter He wants me to be.

Heavenly Father knows my talents and potentials. He keep on telling me without fail that - I am daughter of God, that have divine potential that I just need to explore it.

I am so touch and all I need to do now is to work on my weaknesses and walk towards it! I am so grateful for the things He wants me to know and I love Him so so much. I say all these in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.