Christ replaces discouragement with love!

This week has been by far the most emotional week of my mission! (And it’s not even my time of the month people!) I cried like… 3 times a day at least! Satan was beating me over the head with discouragement. I often felt helpless and hopeless. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t help people feel closer to their Savior. I felt deep sorrow for the choices of others. It seemed that my efforts were wasted and hollow. But thankfully Christ has my back. He makes it all okay. Every time I fell to my knees in prayer the Lord would not only lift my burden but He would strengthen me! I have come to find that as I turn to Christ He replaces discouragement with LOVE! That’s what it is all about. Love. That truly is the answer to all things! Love. When I feel weighed down by sorrow because of the negative choices of those I care about the love of the Savior lightens my load! As I have genuine love and charity for others, the discouragement dissolves. This is not my mission! It is the Lords! I refuse to sit around feeling sorry for myself. I need to get over myself and just LOVE THE PEOPLE! Yes, loving people and seeing them struggle can break your heart, but didn’t the Savior command us to come to him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit? He promises us that as we do this we will be filled with the Holy Ghost, which is the Comforter! I had a very sweet experience last night that gave me a lot of hope! We finally got to see Tanner again. He is going through a lot of hard things. He hasn’t prayed in the past 2 months and really didn’t feel comfortable praying with us. So we walked to his front lawn and knelt down. We looked at the stars for a minute and Sister Park and I bore testimony that the creator of the universe knows him personally and listens to his prayers. Then we went in a circle and each said a prayer out loud. When it came Tanners time to pray, he took a deep breath in then said, “Dear Heavenly Father… ” He went on and gave the most beautiful, genuine prayer. It filled us all with that Comforter. It is my testimony that there is a God. He is our Father. He does listen to our prayers. He will never leave us. I love my Heavenly Father so much! I love His son, Jesus Christ. I know that as we turn to them with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, they will fill us with the Comforter and fill us with LOVE! As we remember out Savior, may we always turn outward when the natural man would turn inward is my prayer!

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.      – John15:12

My challenge for you this week is to write a gratitude letter to someone you love who is struggling. Thank them for who they are and specific ways they have touched your life. I promise that as you do this, you will develop a greater love for them and any discouragement or fears you may have will be dissolve. I promise they will feel greater hope in their life and it will strengthen them and remind them who they truly are- children of the almighty God!