On a particularly hot summer day, a woman jokingly asked her husband to go online and order some cooler weather. The husband got on his computer and a few minutes later reported, “Done. It should arrive sometime this fall.”
We all have times of discomfort, even disaster. The key to surviving such times is our faith that things will work out in the end. And if things are not working out, then it must not be the end. Patience and perspective give us the strength to carry on during life’s inevitable hard times.
Virtually every classic tale in literature or film has, as its driving force, some problem or conflict to overcome. Imagine how dull a book would be if the resolution came in chapter 1. We keep reading to the end because we want to know how things will work out—and we’re confident that they will somehow.
Quite often, the resolution comes in the form of change or growth in the main character. He or she has learned something valuable, and it wouldn’t have happened without the adversity that propelled the adventure.
Learning is what makes life’s adventure worthwhile. And while learning is sometimes expensive, ignorance costs even more. So what should we be learning? We have access to almost limitless information, but some things simply matter more than others. Some things are interesting; others are deeply meaningful. Some are thought-provoking; others are life-changing. What kind of learning will bring us to the “happily ever after” at the end of our adventure?
Consider the Lord’s invitation: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28–29).
When life hurts and we wonder how we can carry on, we can find rest in Him. He won’t always give us premature resolution to our problems, but He will give us faith that the resolution is coming. And when things don’t seem to be working out yet, we can know that the Lord is giving us time to learn and grow before our story comes to an end.
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August 15, 2021
Broadcast Number 4,796
The Tabernacle Choir
and Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductor
Mack Wilberg
Organist
Brian Mathias
Host
Lloyd Newell
Arise, O God, and Shine
John Darwell; arr. Mack Wilberg
I Sing the Mighty Power of God
English melody; arr. Mack Wilberg
Venite!
John Leavitt
Let All the Angels of God Worship Him, from Messiah
George Frideric Handel
Come to My Garden, from The Secret Garden
Lucy Simon; arr. Kurt Bestor
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Rowland Hugh Prichard; arr. Mack Wilberg