Retrospect Clarification

So yesterday I went on a date with a good friend of my mine who's been my friend since my first semester up here in 2006. We talked about the past and the things we'd learned from those experiences. I also had dinner with my cool sister Megan and my cousin Stephanie and her husband and we again talked a little about our pasts.

I've thought about that quiet a bit these last few days. I remember many experiences on my mission and after my mission that have been what I deemed at the time incredibly hard. Often times I felt like the currant bush from the BYU Devotional by Hugh B. Brown. I was bitter, hurt and confused as to what I'd done wrong. I've written a poem about my view as the currant bush. I wrote in my journal originally as a way to vent; later when I looked back at it, I found that it was a poem.

So back to my original thought... Sometimes we go through hard experiences and we don't understand WHY we have to go through some pain, suffering, or frustration. I remember one such experience on my mission when I went through a hard time with one of my companions. He was going through a very hard time and often vented to me. This was compounded by the fact that he was also ill some days and we unable to go out. So I became depressed, and discouraged. At the time I saw no reason for having to live this tortuous experience. Then about a year and a half later I was dating a girl and she had very difficult experience. I was inspired to remember how I had dealt with my companion and the things that I had learned from that experience; I told my then girlfriend what I had learned and she learned a lesson that was critical for her to learn at that time. I realized that day the WHY I had needed to go through that rough time on my mission; I needed it to help some else.

Sometimes we go through experiences to learn something from which we need to draw on later. I have found that from many of the experiences I have had.

One of my teachers once proposed an idea that I feel is true to some extent. He said that he believes that God has certain major points or events that He wants us to live through. I believe that this is true but I would add that I think the Lord wants us to live through these events in order for us learn something unique from them because we need it to develop our eternal character.

I hope that if you get time that you'll reflect on something from your past that may have or still does puzzle you. Ponder over it and pray over it. I believe that as you do so the Lord will open your understanding and help you see what unique lesson you can learn from that experience.