On sunday we had a lesson in relief society about the blessings and power of the priesthood. Near the end of the lesson our instructor was asking people for experiences where they or someone they know was blessed by the priesthood and their testimonies of it. So, many people shared experiences where they had blessings and miracles happened, and things worked out. And yes, I have been given many blessings especially before and after my surgeries, and I have a testimony of the power and miracle of the priesthood. But, I thought after I went home about what it means when you are given a blessing and the promises made to you do not come to pass. What does it mean? Why does that happen? I was upset that I didn't think about it until later that night, because otherwise I would have asked the sisters in my relief society their thoughts on it. So, I am asking anyone who may read this. What are your thoughts? I truly felt that I had the faith for the blessings to come to pass, and continued with that faith until the bitter end when it was all confirmed to me that what I was indeed promised was not happening. Why? I have been wondering and have had a lot of questions about it since that time. Tell me your thoughts.
~Keira
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
A couple of things come to mind on this topic. As I've grappled with these issues myself a few times over the years, here's what I've realized:
ReplyDelete1) Have you ever noticed how blessings -- baby blessings, blessings of comfort and healing, patriarchal blessings, etc -- can all be interpreted in a thousand different ways? Particularly patriarchal blessings, which is why they're so useful throughout an entire lifetime. But I think the same applies to blessings of comfort and healing. All the direction and blessings I've received through those sorts of blessings are just as wide open to interpretation as my patriarchal blessing is. How I understand them depends on the moment and situation; sometimes it stays the same, sometimes it doesn't.
2) Faith, I've learned, is not a one-time deal. It's something we're asked to pursue for a lifetime. Life is a rollercoaster -- and sometimes not a very fun one -- and even though it's not easy, we need to keep our faith up, even when ride goes down. When it comes to an application of priesthood blessings, I think that it's important to remember the faith we feel that things will turn out all right if that was the blessing we were given, even if those blessings don't appear to be coming to pass. If the blessing was given, it will come to pass, so long as we do our best to keep that faith. Which brings me to the third things I've realized...
3) It's all about the Lord's timing, which is something I don't think we'll fully understand until the eternities. He knows our struggles, and he's incredibly eager to shower us with promised blessings. But it's our job to wait on Him, to keep our faith up, to press forward until the time is right. This isn't easy, and I know He knows that. But it's part of His plan, and I think that the sooner we can accept that, the happier and more content with our lot we will be.
Keep your chin up. Who knows -- the corner you're so anxious to turn might be closer than you think. The Lord knows where it is, and is more than willing to help you get there, no matter how long the wait might be.