Everyone has continuous trials. In some cases they are brought on by our own choices; other times they're just given to us. For some it may be finances. For others it may be addiction. And for others it may be illnesses. Life holds many trials. But we all have that one great trial that helps define us, though sometimes it just feels like it overshadows us.
My life-defining trial is not unique; many people deal with the same things I'm dealing with. Some may even deal with it the same way I do. As I mentioned in my last post, we all have our ups and downs, and that's okay so long as we don't give up. But not giving up can be one of the hardest things we do.
I recently had a down day—a very down day. When I went to bed that night, I didn't want to try getting out of bed the next morning, I didn't want to try giving a lesson to our Primary kids, and I didn't want to try sitting through sacrament meeting—not because I didn't want to go to church, but because I didn't think I could make it through it.
Morning came, and I got out of bed to get ready, fighting back tears most of the time. I plead in my mind, probably for comfort, not sure exactly what I was saying or asking. And as I tried to calm myself through a deep breath, this scripture came to me: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). I almost disregarded it, recalling that this scripture is often applied when people are trying to do big, difficult things, like preparing to serve a mission in a foreign country, not preparing to go to church.
I thought about it again, but this time with a slight change: "I can do all things—small things—through Christ." I realized then that "all things" doesn't mean "great things" or "magnificent things." It means "all things"—even the small ones. Yes, Christ is there to help us when we face great challenges. But He is just as ready to help us when we face small struggles. Most days, going out of the house isn't difficult in the slightest. But that day, such a small thing became a great challenge to me. And Christ was there to help.
I haven't overcome my great life challenge. I doubt I will for a while yet. But I overcame that day, as hard as it was. And I gained a new appreciation for a favorite scripture and found its application in my everyday life. The Lord cares about each of us, all the time—not just when we're fighting our way through our most difficult trials or facing pivotal moments in our lives. He cares about everything we're going through, and He understands perfectly what we're experiencing. He wants to help us get through it. We just need to reach out to Him and realize that He does care, even about the small things.
Through Christ I can do great things. Through Christ I can do small things. Through Christ I can do all things, because He strengthens me.
