Perfect Everything

"It'll all be okay in the end; if it's not okay, it's not the end."

The Perfect Storm: 

Every single comment, emotion, leading event, feeling/prompting and the straw that broke the camel's back mesh together to create the perfect storm.  Sometimes it takes one of these perfect storms to recognize God's hand in life.  I think of 2 major perfect storms.  One seems irrelevant, and the other is still raining.  I am realizing that everything (all the comments, emotions I've experienced, events and all the feelings I've felt) have lead up to this storm.  Removing any single comment or event would have changed the outcome. Right now, I am at peace to know that everything happens for a reason.

Perfect Timing: 

Have you ever thought about how crappy timing can be?  As guilty as I am for thinking (and wishing) that the timing would have been better if [insert appropriate condition], I am grateful that everything happens in its own time.  If I am completely honest with myself and the situation, I realize that I would not have learned some of life's lessons enough to acknowledge the certain situation.  Our circumstances and lessons gleaned from those circumstances (also known as trials) shape our character.  Without them happening at the precise time, we wouldn't learn the same things.  

Perfect Faith: 

I'm not claiming to have perfect faith because I clearly do not, but sometimes I feel like I deserve an 'A' for the test of the day.  What do you know, prayers are answered!  A long time ago, I prayed for God to shape me- this means having a broken heart and a willing contrite spirit.  I thought my heart was humble and broken enough, but boy was I wrong.  -Again with the perfect timing- He answered my outdated and half-forgotten prayer (along with many current prayers).  A conversation with a friend brought up a "trial of your faith".  Do you have enough faith to follow the Lord at the drop of a hat?  This question was asked, and I took it to heart.  Sure enough, my Heavenly Father asked me to follow him, and it's about the hardest thing I have ever done.  "Keep going and I'll tell you when to stop." was my answer for the past little while.  I never realized how hard it would be to stop mid-whatever to follow him.  I think about Lehi being told to leave Jerusalem.  "Keep preaching repentance, Lehi, and I'll tell you what to do next".  Little did he know, he'd have to pick up and move.  How many other stories are similar?  I'm not asked to pick up and move, nor am I asked to sacrifice my only son (Abraham/Isaac).  I'm just tested to see if I'll have that kind of faith.  Faith, as in Alma, is not a perfect knowledge but is a hope for things [...].  I hope(I have faith) that I'm following His counsel.  I hope that He is leading me and loves me.  I hope that He knows my very heart.  I hope that He knows the big picture.  I hope that He is using me to do his work.  These are not merely hopes; these are facts.  I believe they are real because I don't know what my life would mean without them.  

Perfect Peace: 

Thanks to the Perfect Storm with perfect timing, my faith (/hopes) has grown.  I am filled with peace in knowing that God is merciful and truly does live up to my hopes.  

Oh, Life...   Thank you for the lessons.

Even though I may have peace and hope that everything is in God's hand, I still struggle with the worldly emotions.  Knowledge of God makes it a little easier, but it's still hard to go through.  Life is still hard...