40 Day Walk with Christ - Day 3

Read Jacob 1-5
Mark & Ponder 2 Nephi 31:13
Scripture of the day: "...Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3)
Thought for the day: "The Book of Mormon must be re-enthroned in the minds and hearts of our people. We must honor it by taking its precepts into our lives and transforming them into lives required of true followers of Christ." (Pres Ezra Taft Benson)

The Allegory of the Vineyard: the longest chapter in the Book of Mormon. I think a lot of this chapter is about missionary work but something else always comes to mind when I read it.  Each of us is born into different circumstances which has the tendency to raise a lot of questions.  Why was that child born into an abusive family? Why was this person born poor and that person born rich?  Why was this person born in America and that person in Cambodia?  Why can't I find someone to marry?  Why can't I have children?  Why did I get cancer?  The questions could go on and on and on.  Here is what I believe: The Lord wants ALL of us to make it back to Him.  He does everything in His power (which is A LOT) to help us get there.  Sometimes we have to be "pruned" and "dug about" in order to develop the qualities necessary to make it back to Him.  I know with all of my heart this is true.  When I'm really praying for something I want very badly (like help with some big trial) I can honestly add "Thy will be done" and really mean it because I know without a doubt in my mind that everything I go through the Lord will consecrate unto me for my own good.  I know He will help me learn what I need to learn so that I can live with Him again.  If the choice is get cancer and make it back to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus or don't get cancer and maybe not make it back...bring on the cancer.  Life may not be fair but we each get the circumstances we need to help us become the best version of our self we can possibly be, whether it is poor ground or good ground.  Obviously some people don't use their circumstances to do that.  That is their choice.  I choose to accept my challenges and trials and let them mold me into the person I want to be.  I'm not saying it's easy or that I have a perfect attitude all the time.  In the midst of a trial it's a lot harder to have the right perspective.  But the more practice I have the better I get.  I hope and pray I can always live up to the expectations the Lord has of me and use all  my circumstances, good and bad, to come closer to Him and to living with Him for eternity.