"It is easy enough to be pleasant
When life flows by like a song,
But the man worth while is the one who will smile
When everything goes dead wrong."
--Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The small poem above is a small excerpt from one of my favorite poems, called Worthwhile. The entire poem is wonderful, but these first four lines went along perfectly with one the events that took place this past week. A group of friends and I did a somewhat strenuous hike on which we were hit by a terrifying and exciting storm. During the last 4 miles we plodded through mud, got pelted with hail, and ended up chilled to the bone. Despite the gloomy circumstances, I was amazed with how happy everyone continued to be. It would have been easy to feel sorry for ourselves--no doubt I complained more than anyone--but I never ceased to be astonished with everyone's unfailing, optimistic attitude. While being drowned in rain, I was showered with the happy thoughts, comments, and compliments of those around me. The phrase "mmm! I'm so warm!" was often heard throughout that long portion of the hike, simply to convince ourselves and others we weren't half as cold as we were. I appreciated them so much. If I had been hiking alone, I'm sure I would have given up. I would have climbed a tree and held my frozen hands out to the lightning, begging it for that split second of warmth. Honestly, I probably would have gone crazy enough to consider that;) Anyway, it shows a lot about a person--or a group of friends--when they can smile and continue to laugh and make jokes and pay compliments when we're soaked to the skin and in the middle of nowhere with no jackets and only a soggy box of crackers for comfort.
Elder Holland said something quite similar to Ella Wilcox in his talk entitled Israel, Israel, God is Calling:
"It is easy to be righteous when things are calm and life is good and everything is going smoothly. The test is when there is real trial or temptation. When there is pressure and fatigue, anger and fear, or the possibility of real transgression. Can we be faithful then?"
After much experience and personal study, here are a few tips I've gained to help make it through life's storms:
1) Be prepared. Always have your spiritual rain-jacket and extra water. Until the time comes, you won't realized how much you really do need it.
2) Surround yourself with people who love you. People who love each other, serve each other. We need one another's strength. Even if we do run short, our family and friends can give us aid. They will give us aid through comfort, support and protection when we're most frightened and in need.
3) Stay positive. Smile, even if you don't feel like.. It will help you and those around you. It's amazing how much your attitude can turn a miserable situation into a happy memory. You can make life good if you always treat it like it already is.
4) Never give up. No matter what happens, it can never be bad enough to keep you from moving forward. Don't let yourself climb the tree and ask for lightning like a hiker-gone-crazy. Just when you feel like you can't go another step someone will be there to take your pack, tell you you're almost there, or give you what you need to carry on. Our Heavenly Father will never leave us alone. He's stronger than the lightning and more powerful than the storm. Turn to Him and He will give you strength beyond your own.
