Reapeth in Joy

"Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm 126:4-6) 

This relates very much to a previous study I has a few days ago, where it came to me again that the Lord will always provide a way out, he never only hounds us with trials, and they don't last forever. But it also reminds me of the song "My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee." It's a beautiful song quoting verses from Isaiah and the Doctrine and Covenants. How even when the Lord allows us to experience trials, he doesn't leave us, and he will deliver us from trials eventually in his timing.

It actually reminds me a lot of one of the poems I recently wrote titled, "Never Left Alone." It says, 

"Despite how hard this week has been,

The depression,

The anger,

The confusion,

And the feeling of being utterly lost. 

Despite all these things,

I know that I will never be left by someone. 

Someone who will always stand beside me,

Despite how much I want to run from Him,

He will always come when I call. 

He can help heal every heartache I have,

Provide the balm of Gilead on any wound,

And give the strength through grace to get through the day. 

I know that my pain isn't gone,

But I look back on this week and I see how He has been with me each day.

Every day I was with someone who was there to listen,

People placed in my path to listen, comfort and guide me. 

My boss,

My best friend,

My dear friends from church,

One of my youth leaders from growing up,

My parents,

My branch president and his wife.

I was never left alone. 

And even when I was technically alone,

The Lord was with me. 

I might have given in to some negative angry thoughts,

But He still loves me and wants to help me. 

As I strive to improve and heal,

He'll be able to give me more and more strength,

Freely."

I love this verse in Psalms because currently I'm going through a lot emotionally. I have a lot of stress and I have had a lot of negative thoughts that I'm not proud of. But I know that the Lord is watching over me and will help heal me as I continue to turn to him. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Getting Rid of the Weeds

Yesterday I was gardening with my family. I moved from the garden around the pool, to the "middle garden" (it's a long garden in the middle of our yard with our peach and apple trees, watermelon, melon, pepper, and raspberry plants). I was given charge to weed there because it hadn't been weeded in a while. So I went over ad started to inspect the areas that needed the most love (we had a time limit). I found that within the area where the watermelons are planted, there were lots of weeds that looked suspiciously like the poison sumac I learned about at Young Women's camp. I went and grabbed my gloves and started pulling all of that out first. These weeds didn't have big root systems but trying to pull those out instead of the watermelons was hard because they were growing so close together. 

As I was weeding I thought about how the sacrament and repentance is very much like weeding. We try and not commit the same sins over and over, and the sacrament washes us clean like baptism. However, sometimes we need extra help with weeding. Sometimes we have weeds that have massive root systems and are hard to pull out. Sometimes we have a poisonous plant growing all over our garden. It is then that we need extra help. The poisonous plants could be compared to sins as serious as sexual sins. It's not impossible to take out, but we can't do it ourselves. With the help of our bishops, we are able to gain a better understanding of grace and how to use it.

I bear my testimony to you that I know that by grace we are saved after all we can do. I know that repentance is real and possible. We can overcome sin! It's not impossible! I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.