What Will Your Monument Be?

Today while at a member's home for dinner, we got to talking about good books that we have read. The book Charlie's Monument, by Blaine M. Yorgason was mentioned and that took the conversation a little further. I love this book but I love the poem included in the book even more!

The Monument

God,
Before He sent His children to earth
Gave each of them
A very carefully selected package
Of problems.

These, He promised, smiling,
Are yours alone. No one
Else may have the blessings
These problems will bring you.

And only you
Have the special talents and abilities
That will be needed
To make these problems
Your servants.

Now go down to your birth
And to your forgetfulness. Know that
I love you beyond measure.
These problems that I give you
Are a symbol of that love.

The monument you make of your life
With the help of your problems
Will be a symbol of your
Love for me,
Your Father.

Blaine M. Yorgason

I love that so much! My loving Heavenly Father 'carefully selected' the problems that I would have in my life and knew that only I could do it! I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that my Father in Heaven loves me! He loves me so much that He took the extra care to assure that the problems and trials that I face in this life are specially fitted for me and for my growth!

The same goes for all you. God carefully selected the trials that you face in life because He knows that no one will handle it better than you! What we make of our lives is how we show our love and gratitude to our Father in Heaven. For us to take these problems God gave us and to truly overcome them and to 'make these problems [our] servants' makes our Father in Heaven so happy. And I can't imagine a better motivator, than to make someone I love proud of me!

As I sit here typing this, I am reminded of one of my favorite LDS musical numbers. Its called The Test, written by Janice Kapp Perry. Its about a man asking his blind friend why Jesus Christ doesn't heal him. And I just love the blind man's response;

Didn't He say, He sent us to be tested?
Didn't He say the way would not be sure?
But, didn't He say, we can live with Him,
Well and whole, if we but faithfully endure?
After the trials, we will be blessed.
But this life, is The Test.

Our Father in Heaven has given us these beautiful blessings in the form of tests, and trials, and problems. It's really hard to feel this way in the heat of a trial, but I truly feel honored that my Heavenly Father trusts me with my problems because they are hard! I struggle with them and I want to give up, but when I don't, I can truly feel the loving and protecting arms of my Savior Jesus Christ enfold me and I know that I can carry on because my Father in Heaven knows that I can!

I am truly grateful that I have the opportunity and the responsibility to share this glorious gospel with the people of Oregon. I hope you all have a wonderful day and please take a little extra time in your prayers and thank God for your problems! :)

Love-Sister Petersen