More Meekness in Trial: Guest Nola Bird

"The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him." Nahum 1:7

We believe that God does know us - individually, specifically. In our various personal trials, we have felt his love envelop us in peace. The kind that passeth understanding.

That is not to say that trials don't occasionally feel heavy. They do. Life is hard for each of us in various, vastly different ways.

In our own quest for greater trust in the Lord, and "more patience in suffering," we truly appreciate the examples of others who bear their personal trials with trust and true meekness. We'd like to occasionally use this forum to post such stories - stories of people facing difficult trials with great faith and, consequently, great hope.

We hope you'll contact us (wesandlori@gmail.com) if you'd ever like to write such a post. (Elder Maxwell said, "Hope can be contagious." Isn't that true??!")

Today's contribution is by our dear friend Nola Bird. Nola is a friend we long admired and appreciated, although we never really had an opportunity to become deeply acquainted. Nola was consistently interested in us, unusually observant of our particular challenges, and always ready with a sensitive comment. I didn't realize until Nola moved a distance away that her empathy sprang from significant personal loss. We're grateful she chose to share a little of her experiences today:

My life changed 18 years ago this August. On a Monday evening, my Mom, 2 brothers and I were enjoying a family night. As we were enjoying this quiet summer evening, my grandparents showed up. They struggled to tell us that my Dad was in a deadly airplane crash in Wisconsin. That was a defining moment in my life, but it was definitely not the end of my world. I was sad and probably a little confused, but I knew that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ I could have hope that life was going to be ok and one day I would see my Dad again.

Let me backup and try to explain where this knowledge came from. I believe that part of my nature is to accept things that require faith relatively easily, but I also believe my family was prepared for this moment. Two of my brothers were born with genetic disorders that shortened their lives considerably. My older brother lived to be 16 and actually died two years after my Dad. One of my younger brothers died after living just 12 hours. Once my parents found out about this genetic disorder they taught me consistently about the Plan of Salvation. They taught me to rely on the Lord and believe that His will is something I can always trust. At the age of 3 I told my church teacher “My brother is going to die, but that is ok because he is going to live with Jesus.”

Since these tragedies/opportunities I have thought a lot about faith and hope. Recently, I was reading a talk by Elder Pino (who happens to be one of my husband’s mission presidents…random, but it kind of connects to my next thought.) printed in the May 2009 Ensign. He discussed faith in adversity. He talked about a friend that faced the loss of 5 family members in an automobile accident. This man, Brother Quero, had a wonderful outlook on what is important. Shortly after the accident he told Elder Pino: “This was the time to show loyalty to God and to acknowledge that we depend on Him, that His will must be obeyed, and that we are subject to Him. I spoke to my brothers and gave them strength and courage to understand what President Kimball taught many years ago, that ‘there is no tragedy in death, but only in sin’ (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society course of study, 2006], 18) and that the important thing is not how a man died but how he lived.”

I love what President Kimball said. I have a friend who is related to my mission president by marriage. My mission president had so many health struggles while on his mission. Then when he got home he was diagnosed with cancer of the throat and he also had a hip replacement (he might have gone through more, but I can’t remember). My friend questioned God’s will for my mission president. He would often say to me “He (my mission president) did so much good in this life, why does he have to go through all these health struggles?” It's easy to wonder those things, but it broke my heart to hear my friend talk this way. I know my mission president’s attitude was one of trusting in the Lord and moving forward.

Almost 2 years ago, my mission president past away. His wife is healthy will probably live for quiet a while without him. I imagine she will get lonely, but I think her attitude is similar to that of Elder Scott’s. In the May 2009 Ensign he said “Fourteen years ago the Lord took my wife beyond the veil. I love her with all my heart, but I have never complained because I know it was His will. I have never asked why but rather what is it that He wants me to learn from this experience. I believe that is a good way to face the unpleasant things in our lives, not complaining but thanking the Lord for the trust He places in us when He gives us the opportunity to overcome difficulties.”

No matter how tough life gets, the Lord is there to provide us the strength to get through. He wants us to succeed. We may have a plan for how we want life to go, but He is the one that knows how to mold us into our best self. He is the one that sees the end from the beginning.

As far as I can remember, I have never questioned why major trials have occurred in my life. I miss my Dad and 2 brothers, but I know I have been given the chance to become a better person. I know those losses have made me a little more compassionate, a little less stubborn and a little more humble. Don’t worry; I also know I still have a long way to go in each of those categories. I hope that I can make my life more Christ-like with out another major trial in my life, but if they do come, I hope I will be able to remember what President Howard W. Hunter said. “If our lives and our faith are centered on Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right” (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1997], 40).

I know that as I am centered on Jesus Christ, my life is good! I also know that the same can be true for everyone. We all have the opportunity to be happy and content. If you are not feeling that way currently now is a great time to reevaluate how you can focus more on the Savior and strengthen your faith in God’s will for you. I am grateful to the Lord for allowing me to feel the pain of loss. I am grateful to the Lord for placing His trust in me every time I am faced with a difficult challenge. As a result of these struggles I can see I am a better person than I would have been without.