Realization

Just a few days ago I shared our visiting teaching message with a couple of sisters. While I was pondering over the thoughts and quotes we would share, President Uchtdorf's word's suddenly meant so much more than I had ever thought.

“The gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness. The Lord knows your circumstances and your challenges. He said to Paul and to all of us, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee.’ And like Paul we can answer: ‘My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me’ (2 Corinthians 12:9)” (“Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 19).

I had once assumed that Ether 12: 27 meant that the more we work at something, the better we will get at it, until it is no longer a weakness for us, but a strength. And that's part of it. But the other part, the part I was missing was the role of the Savior. We all have our weaknesses, but only with the help of the Savior can we overcome them. Through our weaknesses, Christ makes up the rest and fills in the holes that would potentially keep us from exaltation. We are perfected through him. What a great opportunity it is for us to learn and to draw closer to the Savior through our struggles and imperfections!

At this time of year and in these difficult times it seems so hard sometimes to remain positive and have a good attitude about the future. But our knowledge of a Savior and His Atonement are reason to rejoice and remember "there is hope smiling brightly before us."