disappointment

Last Sunday I taught my Mia Maid girls about trials. Personally, I thought it was a good lesson. We talked about the earthquake in Haiti, the impoverished family in Peru that we’re helping, and lots of other things. We made a list of different trials that people experience. We came up with 15 different trials including abuse, addiction, emotional disorders, natural disasters, divorce and family relationship problems, etc. Then I asked each of the girls to raise their hand if they knew one person who has experienced one of these trials. They kept their hands up as I raised the ante…two trials, three trials, four…

Every one of the girls had their hands up through 14 and some had their hands up for all 15 of the trials. Then I asked them how many of those trials they thought they might possibly go through. They said “all of them”.

But it wasn’t a sad lesson. In fact, when I played the devil’s advocate and asked them why Heavenly Father would let these things happen to them, one of them said, “suffering isn’t punishment, it’s a test”. I almost cried at the faith of these girls. Some of them have had some tough trials already in their young lives and the temptations they have to deal with are so much different than when I was their age.

So a few days later, I’m dealing with my own disappointment. It isn’t anywhere close to what those poor people in Haiti are suffering, but it has my head spinning and I’m struggling not to become angry. I received an email yesterday informing me that we aren’t going to be able to bring Adriel here to go to school. I don’t fully understand the reasons. All I understand is there is a young man who deserves everything the world has to offer and we can’t help him.

Part of me wants to fight. I think we could win. But in my prayers last night, when I said I would do whatever Heavenly Father wants me to, I meant it.

Instead of fighting to bring Adriel here, we are going to start working on getting him on a mission when he turns 19 in December. And that, I sincerely believe, is His will.