Those Days

Something that I always like to say... "Life is unfigureoutable."

Life is crazy! It has it's ups and downs and all arounds. It has its fun and its not so fun. And sometimes, the down days... HIT HARD.
You all know what days I'm talking about. Those days where it's just too much work to roll out of bed in the morning. Those days where just lifting something takes up all of your effort. Those days where you feel like you're dragging your feet just to get to the next place. You know, THOSE DAYS.
And those days happen a lot more than we would like. Right? It's hard. Just plain hard.

There once was this guy. His name was Nephi. He had a lot of those "Those Days." His dad was a prophet, and the Lord told him to take his family and leave Jerusalem so that they wouldn't be killed by people that didn't like them. They lived in the wilderness for lots and lots of years. Then, Nephi is told to build a ship, to take his family to the Promise Land (otherwise known as the Americas). His older brothers really did not like him. In fact, they hated him, because Nephi was so righteous and good and had the spirit with him. Nephi kind of had it not so great.

Yet, when you read his story in the Book of Mormon, he hardly ever complains. He always keeps his head up high, and his trust in the Lord. And the Lord always strengthened him through all of his "Those Days."

Then, there was one particular day, where Nephi is just tired. It took too much work to roll of of bed that morning. I imagined he was probably dragging his feet that day. His trials were just becoming too hard. His father had passed away, and his brothers were angry at him for who knows what! Really, he was just having, what I like to refer to as, A Really Bad Day.
This is what he says about his feelings in The Book of Mormon, 2nd Nephi chapter 4:17-19:

"Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth me because of mine inquities. ... And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins..." PAUSE!!!

MODERN DAY TRANSLATION: I am TIRED of all the trials and hard times. I'm brokenhearted! I'm exhausted! I just want to be happy... But I can't, because of everything that's happening..."

Sound familiar to anyone? If not, it certainly does to me. Hard times are hard! And exhausting! And not to mention, just plain hurtful. BUT! As Nephi continues... (still verse 19 and going into 20, same chapter...)

"...Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep." (Referring to the many years he lived in the wilderness with his family and also as they sailed the seas to reach the Americas.)

...What I love about this, is that even though he's having a really hard day, he instantly remembers his blessings. He instantly remembers what the Lord has done for him up until that point, and he remembers that the Lord will continue to bless him.

That's definitely hard to do sometimes, but I know that as we remember to count our blessings, and remember all that the Lord has done for us, "Those Days" will begin to become "Better Days." And sometimes, they can even become "Best Days."

Nephi ends by saying:

"O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm."

MODERN DAY TRANSLATION: "Heavenly Father has helped me this far, and he WILL help me in time to come. I just gotta keep going. And stop thinking that I can fix things, because I can't fix everything."

This has become one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon while I've been here on my mission. When I have one of "Those Days," when I'm using all my effort to roll out of bed, or using all my energy to shuffle my feet... I think of Nephi and his Bad Day, and how he was able to handle it, because he knew that everything is in the Lord's hands. And just like the Lord helped Nephi, he will help us. In fact, whether we realize it or not, or believe it or not, he is already helping us!

Challenge for you today: Count your many blessings. Name them one by one. :)