September 15, 2014
I am going to start this
email with a wonderful quote from Marjorie Pay Hinckley:
“The only way to get
through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry.
I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache”
Amen to that, sister.
The mission has taught me
so much recently about being happy. About being truly joyful. Joy
does NOT mean that everything is perfect. Joy has something to do with fighting
and working for something. It has something to do with personal peace of mind.
And joy has EVERYTHING to do with trusting the Lord. I want everyone to know
right now that today, I am joyful. We can choose to be joyful in our
circumstances, not BECAUSE of our circumstances. Because everything that
happens to us, every single little thing, is a blessing. Some are hard
blessings-blessings in disguise (or "opportunities dressed in work
clothes" as Bro. Guerrero used to tell me in Grand Island,) but literally
everything that happens to us is a blessing-if we choose to see it as so.
As I studied in Doctrine
and Covenants this morning, I came across two wonderful scriptures that really
touched me heart:
"Do
not murmur, my son, for it is wisdom in me that I have dealt with you
after this manner." (D&C 9:6)
"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."
(D&C 123:17)
Why is it that so many times in
our life, as soon as a drop of rain lands smack dab in the middle of our
forehead, that we pack up the beach picnic and head for the ark? Sometimes, if
we looked up a little more, and at ourselves
a little less, we would realize that not every trial that happens is the end of
the world. Not every raindrop leads to a torrential downpour. Something I have
been learning that I think is very important to remember is that it is OKAY to be happy even when life isn't perfect. And too often we don't let ourselves live that way. We think that
if we don't walk around with a face like we are sucking on a sour pickle then
we aren't truly suffering. Our challenge isn't that hard. False. It is possible
to have a broken heart and a face that still is smiling. Why add to the misery?
We can choose, as we learn in the Book of Mormon over and over, whether we are
happy or whether we are miserable, based on how we react to our situations.
Will we react pitifully, or prayerfully? It makes all the difference. I choose
to be happy. And I hope you will too. It's possible to have peace and joy in
EVERY circumstance, when you know you are on the Lord's side. He is always on
ours.
Yesterday I had the
wonderful opportunity of attending a Catholic worship service. It was a great
experience. They are really good people doing really good things. I sincerely
enjoyed it! As we were participating though, I had the strongest spiritual
confirmation come over me of the reality of the Restoration and the
"marvelous work and a wonder" that our Loving Heavenly Father did
through His prophet, Joseph Smith. I am so grateful for the complete and
restored church of Jesus Christ here on this earth. It brings so much light and
joy and understanding to things which much of the world considers to be
mysteries. They don't have to be, because God still speaks to us through
personal revelation, an open canon of scripture, and a living and breathing
prophet here on the Earth today. And now isn't that something to be joyful
about!!!
I love you all,
Hermana Miller
PS- I know Grandpa McCleery
is smiling on all of us this week. He loves us so much. And he is still very
present and involved in our lives. Make him proud, everyone.
(Tomorrow night just past midnight is the 13th
anniversary of his death… )
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