In a scene that plays out often in snowy weather, a young driver was in a hurry to meet a friend and hit an icy patch on the road. Before she could react, the car slid off the road and wedged tightly into a snowbank. The snow cushioned the impact, but the car was stuck. Soon the young woman was able to signal to a kind passerby who helped her free the car, and she was on her way.
The road of life, like that wintry highway, is full of slippery patches. Even when we’re trying to be careful, circumstances may cause us to get stuck, emotionally trapped, and unable to free ourselves. Perhaps a heavy burden we carry from our past prevents us from moving forward. Or worse, sometimes the hazards of life’s journey cause even more serious harm. Often through no fault of our own, we are hit with something that causes pain, guilt, and long-lasting suffering.
Perhaps the first step in healing is to realize that we really can change. Things can get better. When we truly believe that, we will find that there are those around us who, like a kind passerby, will lend a listening ear and offer loving help.
But we have to be willing to let go of yesterday’s mistakes. A wise man once cautioned that we must not let our yesterdays “hold our tomorrows hostage.” There’s still plenty of road ahead for all of us. By focusing on the future we can stop defining ourselves by what has happened in the past. We can begin to work on who we want to become, regardless of who we once were.
That takes great courage. The power to do it comes through faith in divine assistance, hope for ourselves and our true potential, and love from the people around us. With faith, hope, and love, our yesterdays—however dark—can be overcome and our tomorrows can be bright and full of promise.
March 13, 2016
Broadcast Number 4,513
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductors
Mack Wilberg
Ryan Murphy
Organist
Clay Christiansen
Host
Lloyd Newell
Look at the World
John Rutter
Pilgrim Song
American folk hymn; arr. Ryan Murphy
Festive Trumpet Tune
David German
His Yoke Is Easy, and His Burthen Is Light, from Messiah
George Frideric Handel
The Sound of Music, from The Sound of Music
Richard Rodgers, arr. Arthur Harris
Be Still, My Soul
Jean Sibelius; arr. Mack Wilberg
O Come, Ye Nations of the Earth
German hymn tune; arr. Mack Wilberg