With Him, we can.

Normally on Sundays I reflect on the things I learned in church that day (which I might end up doing later). But right now I want to talk about something that I've kind of recently come to really understand.

It doesn't matter what others think about you. I know, I know–you care about people because they're important to you, and you want to know what they think about you. But, in the end, it really doesn't matter. They will never be able to fully understand you.

They don't know your story.

They may know some things, but it's hard to understand things that you yourself haven't been through. And sometimes there are just some things you might not want to talk about. They don't know the nights you cried because you felt lost and unloved. They don't know that your mother's aunt tried to commit suicide. They don't know the time your little brother disappeared and your whole family thought that he ran away and your mother was crying and you hated your little brother in that moment for making your mom cry. (Side note: I feel like I should make it known that none of these things happened to me specifically. I think I found most of these instances in books I read or heard about)

They don't know those things. They don't know why you do what you do. They don't know everything that makes you you.

The only person who knows your story exactly as you've experienced it is Jesus Christ–who's lived your story personally so that He could be able to help you through it, if you let Him.

He suffered for your pains, your sicknesses, your infirmities, your griefs, anything emotional, physical, or mental that you have/had to deal with, your temptations, and also for your sins. He suffered for EVERYTHING that you have experienced, and everything that you will ever experience.

He loves you SO MUCH that He wanted to be able to be there for you whenever you need Him. He wanted you to be able to turn to Him for anything and everything that you struggle with. You struggle with being patient? He's there to help you. You struggle with loving yourself? He's there to help you. You struggle with believing in Him?  He is there for you!

There is nothing that you have gone through that He has not experienced. He experienced everything so that He could help you. He walked alone so that you don't have to.

In sacrament meeting today, two of my friends performed the song "The Miracle" (which can be found here), and I love that song so much! Hearing them sing it made me cry because I could feel the Spirit, and it was just so beautiful and I felt like there was a message in it for me specifically. One of my favorite lines is, "But I know this: of all His miracles, the most incredible must be the miracle that rescues me." He loves you, and wants you to be able to live with our Heavenly Father again, and so He atoned and died for you so that that could happen.

"It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time," (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "It Is Never Too Late," April 2012).

Today has been a great day, full of messages that I needed to hear and think about. I am so grateful for my Savior, and for the love that He had for me, and for all of us, and for His sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane, and on the cross at Calvary. His Atonement has helped me, has healed me, and has given me peace. I know that I am never alone, and with Him, I can get through anything. I had a super hard trial a couple of years ago, and I am still feeling its aftereffects, but I got through it with Him. I wasn't alone. That's such a blessing and comfort to me. And, because of that experience, I know that I can do hard things. I know that life is hard, and that sometimes there are things that happen that just put you so far out there that you don't think that you can return, but with Him, we can (that is also the title of a song that I love. It can be found here). He will never leave you alone. He will always be there to aid you. This I know, and bear testimony of in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Being an instrument in the Lord's hands.

I have a story. It's actually a very longish story, so bear with me. 

Tuesday night (so, yesterday, May 5th, 2015) for Young Women's, we made truffles for our mothers for Mother's Day. Me being the kind and sweet person I am, I decided to make an additional one for my orchestra teacher--this year is her first Mother's Day with her baby outside of her womb. So, I okayed it with Sister Johnson and I made another one.

Today I had an AP test this morning, which means that I missed first period (my TA period for my orchestra teacher) and second period (orchestra), as well as third (not important, but it was Foods). After my test, I got lunch and ate with my friends and then went to the orchestra room to relax and tell my teacher how it went. Anyway, we talked a lot and she told me how her weekend was and I told her how my test went. I could tell she was a little stressed, annoyed, and tired. She's got a lot going on--our concert is on Tuesday and we have an awards banquet on Monday, and school is coming to a close so she's got grades to do, and we are playing at graduation. So, I went to fourth period, and, after okaying it with my teacher, I left a little early to help my orchestra teacher [Because a), she had asked me to. 2) I wanted to. Three) I felt bad that I had missed my TA period even though she'd already told me before that it was no big deal]. I helped her check and make sure she typed some of the awards correctly, and then I had to go. I later contacted her about something my brothers had done, and then I sent her a music pun:

Realizing as I read it that it may have sounded like I was calling her an angry conductor, I quickly clarified that I didn't think that she was an angry orchestra conductor, I just thought that "tempo tantrum" was hilarious. And then she told me that she'd locked her keys in her car (When I get a car, I am sure I will do this several times) and I felt so bad for her because she'd been having a rough day, and so I sent her this picture: 

And then I just told her that I was sorry that she'd had a bad day. I let her know that I know that she works hard and that I know she's trying and I said that I really admire and look up to her and I know that she's amazing. And then she thanked me and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside, like when you know you've done something good. And then I realized about an hour or so ago that I was giving her the chocolates on Friday! She loves chocolate. And I was like, "I've been an instrument in the Lord's hands! I'm going to be an instrument in His hands! I'm going to make her week awesome!"And I just know that the Lord helped me know what to say to her, and when to say it to her, and I know that He inspired me to make a box of chocolates for her so that she would feel loved, important, of worth, and that she was doing something right. 

In the October 2000 General Conference, in her talk "We Are Instruments in the Hands of God", Sister Mary Ellen Smoot said, "Service is a key to being an effective instrument." And today I served my orchestra teacher by letting her know that I saw her, and that I know that she is trying. I let her know that she is amazing, and I admire and look up to her. She may have felt like she wasn't doing a good job, but I let her know that she was, and I didn't even know that she felt like she wasn't doing a good job. 

God works in mysterious ways–I only knew part of the story, but I was able to address the whole story, and I know that that was because of Heavenly Father. I know that He watches out for us. I know that He loves and cares for us. I know that He sends us what we need when we need it through others. I know that we are instruments in the Lord's hands when we serve others and when we do anything Christlike. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

He is simply there.

I feel like life is so crazy; sometimes it's hard to do so many things. It makes it hard to keep track of time, and it makes it hard to let go of people who you either need to let go of or should let go of. But it doesn't matter what life throws at you because Christ is always there. I know that I've been saying this a lot, but it's because I know He's there and I feel like it's something that can never be overstated: He is simply always there. Whether or not you believe in Him, He is there. If your mom has died or is really sick and you think He's left you, He hasn't. If your dad is a drunk or left you when you were little and you think Christ isn't there for you, He is. Whatever your circumstances, He is there for you. He loves you so much and wants you to know that He loves you and wants you to come back to our Heavenly Father. I hope you know that it is never too late to return or find Him and I hope you know that He is always reaching out for you.