The Rest of the Story: Continued

One of those moments when I read just the right thing at just the right time was when I read this quote

"To exercise faith is to trust that the Lord knows what He is doing with you and that He can  accomplish it for your eternal good even though you cannot understand how He can possibly do it. We are like infants in our understanding of eternal matters and their impact on us here in mortality.Yet at times we act as if we knew it all. When you pass through trials for His 
purposes, as you trust Him, exercise faith in Him, He will help you.That support will generally come step by step, a portion at a time. While you are passing through each phase, the pain 
and difficulty that comes from being enlarged will continue. If all matters were immediately 
resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty 
than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love."

Elder Richard G. Scott, Trust in the Lord, Ensign, Nov. 1995

My prayers began in a childish and immature way. My thoughts were that if I prayed with enough faith for what I wanted I could get it. Selling our home in the time frame I desired was my purpose and my plan. It wasn't a bad purpose or plan, just not His. My faith was refined and strengthened as I realized how elementary my way of thinking was. I never lost faith in my Heavenly Father or in the fact that He could and would answer my prayers. Where I lost faith was in myself and my testimony. It was in these moments, when I questioned my testimony and my knowledge that angels came into play. Those angels not only helped us make it through each day, but reassured me that I was not alone.

I truly felt his arms around me as the angels in the form of friends, family, neighbors, and leaders stepped into my life. I can't explain it any other way than to say, in all actuality, that I felt lighter. I felt loved. I felt guided. My burden was lifted not because it was taken away, but because it was shared.

I cried as I dropped my children off at friend's home for the day while I packed (and nursed) and packed (and nursed) and packed some more (and nursed some more). The tears were both of frustration that I couldn't mother my children and of gratitude that other wonderful angel moms were there in my stead.

I didn't cook for my family for three weeks after the baby was born. For three weeks our dinners were taken care of by neighbors, friends, and, of course, my mom. Delicious dinners, might I add.

Even something as trivial as having enough boxes was taken care of by wonderful friends.

I know there are more trials ahead of me in my life. I know that one day this will seem little and easy, but without this step in my progression I would not be ready for whatever is ahead.