After my class my brother called me and said that he was in the Wilk about to eat lunch. So I met him there. We had a jolly ol' time eating lunch and sharing each other's stresses for the day.
While I was walking out of the Wilk I ran into Jordan. Yes, Jordan Wittwer. You may remember him from many of my previous posts. He was my best friend and boyfriend in high school. Obviously things didn't work out as I was expecting and going through that experience was one of the hardest things I have ever done.
*Just as a side note: DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN STEADY DATE IN HIGH SCHOOL!
We chatted for a good half hour catching up, laughing about old times, and sharing in the joys of now. I will admit if I had ran into him 1 year ago I would have experienced some severe emotional pain. But today there was no emotional pain, no bitter feelings, no silent angry threats, no lingering sadness. There was just happiness. The kind of happiness you feel when you run into an old friend.
Later, after my evening classes I was thinking and wondering why I ran into Jordan. Throughout the last couple of years I feel the Lord has been merciful in sparing us continual "bumping into each other." Which I consider a great tender mercy for there was a lot of healing and growing up needed on my part. As this question settled in my mind my heart was filled with gratitude that the Lord carried me through that time. While this gratitude was saturating my heart and thoughts I reflected on the specific moments that felt too hard for me to bear and again a new wave of gratitude filled my heart as I realized that today's "bumping into" was a great tender mercy from the Lord. Today the Lord showed me that the Atonement is real. Not only did the Lord carry me through those trying moments, but he healed my heart. He healed my broken life; my broken dreams and replaced them with His own. He has lead me to a place that I honestly did not know that I could be. I have met people that have changed me and helped me on my returning path to Heavenly Father.
Today could be compared to the feeling after you run. You never actually want to make your lungs and legs burn, but that feeling afterwards is too good. It's the same with the trials that we face in our lives. The moment when you know that you are about to go through something really hard is a dreadful moment, but at the same time you know that after it is all over you will be so grateful and it will feel too good not to praise the Lord for that experience.
There is a great song that I actually listened to too many times to count during the last 2 years that expresses exactly what I am talking about. Enjoy!
God lives. There are many people who love and care and support us.
Don't give up. That too-good feeling will come. It will come and it will fill you with joy greater than any of the pain that you experience.
Joanie I can relate to this so much, thank you so much for this post.
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