Refined by our struggles

Today this quote came to mind “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” Elizabeth Kubler Ross

I remember Elder Holland mentioning how we all without exception will have to endure trials. Each of us with have to face at one time or another challenges and if we have not experience them already is because we haven't lived long enough.  A woman on her blog wrote: "I know that each of you have had plenty of struggles and challenges to deal with in your lives…I believe that everyone does.  We may never know or guess the struggles that one another have gone through because some of us don’t go around sharing all of those deeply painful experiences we have overcome, but the fact is that everyone’s life has been full of challenges.  Some are physical, some are emotional, some are financial, some include loss….the list goes on and on.  I have yet to meet anyone who hasn’t had challenges in their life.  But when you look back at your own life, as grateful as you are for the happy times, it has been those difficult times that have helped to mold you into the person that you are today.  And you couldn’t trade those past challenges, or quite simply, you wouldn’t be you!

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”  – Maya Angelou

All of us have been refined by our problems and our tough circumstances.  They have made us better people, if we have let them…and they have certainly made all of you BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!

Today’s message is this:  Never give up when things get tough…We all want the fairy tale, but if you want the happy ending then YOU CAN’T GIVE UP!"

From everything that was said from Elder Holland perhaps this is what caught my attention the most. His visit was amazing and so uplifting. He gave a testimony full of love for us. The office choir sang like angels. An idea of Daniel's that had a lot of resistance from some bosses because they thought practicing took too much time so the choir members decided to do it during their lunch hour and after work at 5:00pm and now those same people have come to Daniel to tell him, they were sorry to have not support that venture because now they know it brings a great spirit to the working environment and the morale is so high and what a great idea that was.