Building A Palace

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the pain experienced in adversity and trials. It is such a struggle! I have often wondered (and I know that I am not the only one) why it has to be so difficult?

I found an incredible answer in a quote from the amazing author, CS Lewis. He said:

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right, and stopping the leaks in the roof, and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably, and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to?

The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of– throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

CS Lewis

These words by CS Lewis blow me away. The visual that he describes is simply amazing. Christ has no intention for us to become only 'cottages'. We go through incredibly hard times in our lives and we are bound to experience great pain. We may even want to give up or cry out and suggest that our burdens are 'too much.' However, we must ponder that "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" (Doctrine and Covenants 122:8). The price of our sins has already been paid for by our Savior. He bought a palace. We should never give up or complain and end up settling for a cottage.

His sacrifice and love is incredibly personal. I love to personalize the verses in Doctrine and Covenants 76:41-42 that describe Christ's sacrifice. "That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for [me], and to bear [my] sins, and to sanctify [me] from all unrighteousness; That through him all might be saved whom the Father had put into his power and made by him." How wonderful and personal our relationship with Christ becomes when we realize that He endured so much for us on an individual level. He truly is our best friend.

"The Lost Lamb" by Del Parsons

His love is so deep that He endured pains greater than any man has ever experienced so we will never be alone in our sorrow, anger, frustration, confusion, etc. His greatest desire is for us to endure our own trials while accessing His sacrifice and ultimately becoming the 'palace' that He has intended for us to become. He wants what is best for us. He does not want us to settle for mediocrity. When we look at our adversities as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks while relying completely on Jesus Christ we will achieve greatness. Christ will build us to be palaces.

Your Best Friend

One thing that I have gained a greater appreciation for since coming on my mission is the fact that the Savior, Jesus Christ, is my best friend. He is always there for me and He knows me perfectly. He knows me more than I know myself. When I think of my best friends...they are those who I have had the most experiences with. They are those who have stood by me when I have done what is right and who have corrected me when I have done what is wrong. Together we steamroll, lazertag, watch movies, play pool, play 2k, play basketball, get Slurpees, etc. Best friends are the best!

Besties.

Through the Atonement (Christ's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary as well as his Resurrection on the third day) Jesus Christ knows me (and you) perfectly. He has literally experienced my life, for better and for worse. He knows exactly how I feel and He is always there for me. I know in my heart that He is always there for me. He has experienced everything that I have experienced. He knows me. He loves me. Therefore, he is my best friend. He is everyone's best friend. However, Satan wants us to feel abandoned, alone, and depressed. He tells us that God has left us and He doesn't love us. That is a lie.

His empathy is earned here in Gethsemane.

Recently, I have been drawn to a certain group of scriptures found in the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. They are the teachings of the Prophet, Isaiah. First, my friend sent me a letter telling me that one scripture in particular stuck out to her and helped her know that Christ will never forget her. Before receiving the letter I had already been studying those chapters in the Book of Mormon. So, these groups of scriptures have been on my mind a lot lately and they give me comfort and strength. They say, "But, behold, Zion hath said; The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me - but he will show that he hath not. For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me" (1 Nephi 21:14-16). It is not a question of whether the Lord will forget us or not. It is a matter of fact that He cannot forget us. He suffers as we suffer. He rejoices as we rejoice. Our walls (lives) are always before Him. We are graven upon the palms of His hands. What comfort we receive from this knowledge!

In my darkest hours I have been uplifted by Jesus Christ. I have felt His strengthening hand through my hardest times. He has never taken away my problems. He has never intervened and stopped bad things from happening to me. He has never intervened and stopped me from doing something bad. He is not a God of control. He is a God of support. He has always helped me see my problems. He has always put others in my path to help me when bad things are happening to me. He has always given me resources (family, friends, scriptures, church, music, etc.) to help me see when I am doing something that is bad. Jesus Christ knows me and knows what I am capable of. He helps me help myself.

Adversity is something that we all will suffer. It is a part of life. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said this, "Adversity will be a constant or occasional companion for each of us throughout our lives. We cannot avoid it. The only question is how we will react to it. Will our adversities be stumbling blocks or stepping-stones?" (Adversity - Ensign July 1998). (Please read this entire article. It is the best article I have ever read on facing adversity.) How will we handle our trials and tribulations? Will we let them tear us down or will be allow ourselves to be strengthened in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10)?

I know that as we hold fast to the teachings of the Gospel, we will have a more sure knowledge that Christ is there for us. He will be with us. "And whoso receiveth you, there will I be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up" (Doctrine and Covenants 84:88). Afterall...He knows you. He is your best friend.