Waves and Washings

I just received one of the greatest letters I have probably ever gotten in the last eighteen months. It came from a dear friend I sometimes call Jimbo, or Jim. Jim had great news. He has decided to dedicate the next two years to serving Jesus Christ and the people of the Washington Kennewick Mission as a missionary (just like me!) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He is going to be one killer missionary and I look forward to receiving many more awesome letters from him.

Jim and I with Sarah and Steph at Graduation!

The reason I bring it up is not only to show how great of friends I have, but after sharing a particular experience he had had in his life, he shared a quote that has such great meaning in it. Here is how it read from his letter:

'There's some lyrics I love from a song that is like perfect for this, "When the rains fall, when the floods rise, when the storm comes, I am still washed by the water." Try and take that attitude, no matter what happens or how bad it gets, you can still be washed by it, and still become stronger from it.'

Wow. Any trial or experience we go through can benefit us. We just have to look for it. Any way it will hit us, whether it is coming down on top of us, sneaking up on us, or coming like a blast from the side, we can be able to 1) withstand the blow (see Alma 13:28 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Philippians 4:13) and 2) receive some kind of benefit from it (see Ether 12:6 ). God truly looks out for us and will not let us down.

God desires to bless us in our adversity, that is the purpose of life. He wants to know how much we will trust in Him, so he knows we will not squander that which he has given us. I know that in my own life, I have seen a blessing come from every trial I have reacted positively to. I definitely didn't have that in mind as I went through it, and I need to do better at that, but I have the hope and faith that with the attitude that we will come out on top. We can be 'washed' by those waves.

Now don't think that this only will work for me, or for Jimbo, but it is most definitely for all of us. The glory of God can be seen in all of our lives, we just have to look inside us, find it, and bring it out. So do it, have the attitude that you can find good in trials, because you will!. As Jim said to me, I now say to you, 'Go ahead, I DARE ya!'