One of the authors who has most inspired my life is Jacques Lusseyran. Lusseyran was blinded in an accident at the age of eight, but blindness taught him that light doesn’t come from outside a person. It comes from within. His autobiography, And There Was Light is amazing. On every page is a new insight that changes how you think about the world and yourself.
In one of his published essays he says, “God never creates new conditions for us without giving us the strength to meet them” (Against the Pollution of the I, p. 72). This is also a truth taught in the Book of Mormon when Alma’s people are put into bondage by the Lamanites and forced into slavery. The Lord answers their prayers for relief by telling them, “I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions” (Mosiah 24:14).
There are two lessons in this for me. The first is obvious and is what Lusseyran explained. If we stay close to the Lord, He will strengthen us to meet any of life’s challenges. The second is that sometimes the purpose of the challenge is that we can stand as a living testimony of Jesus Christ. However, if we let self-pity or discouragement overtake us we fail to bear witness of Christ. Using the Truth Tools to drive away self-pity and discouragement helps us not only to be happy in the midst of affliction, it allows us to “stand as witnesses” of Jesus Christ.
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4 comments:
Hi Sherrie. I am learning so much from the challenges I am facing right now, and your blog has been so helpful to me in this process. Today I have another question...In my current situation I have come to a point where I have to look at what my options are for my future and prepare myself for what may come. Since none of these options are what I have imagined, or what I would have chosen, I am finding many of them very difficult to look at emotionally. And I find that when I force myself to look at these options, it is very hard to stay "anchored" in the present and hold on to the Peace. How do you stay anchored in the present when you HAVE to look at unplanned changes/challenges in your future?
Martha, Again you have raised an excellent question. It would take more space to answer than I have here so I'll make it the subject of the next few posts. Thanks for the question and my prayers are with you! xoxoxo
Heather, It is nice to hear from a newcomer! Thank you so much for the kind words. I hope you'll continue to visit and leave comments on Good News.
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