Promised Blessings

[Anonymous]

DarkJedi wrote:

I believe I recall several GAs blaming Satan for stuff just last weekend. Much of our story is a story of victimization (well, not mine, I’m not of Utah pioneer heritage but I hear it all the time). I think some church leaders and many church members foster the victimization/blame mentality.

I’ve noticed the trend that when a prayer is answered it is treated like a miracle from God and seen as a sacred sign. But when it is not, either there is blame to be shared or a “God is teaching us, we will get the answer someday” answer. Either way, it paints the church/God as innocent always and us as the ones that need to change.

[Anonymous]

rrosskopf wrote:

Rather focus on your own actions and attitudes, continually repenting of those actions and attitudes which can not lead to success. This is the leap of faith that one makes out of hope for a better day. We focus on what we can control

Yes, I believe in this sentiment.

Quote:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.

And from the Special Olympics Motto:

Quote:

Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.

[Anonymous]

There was a time in my life that I felt like I had been doing all the right things in church, (paying tithing, going to the temple, fasting, reading scriptures, praying. etc) but none of the blessings seemed to be coming. In fact everything had gotten worse. My kids were in trouble and my husband did not get his raise, the car and washer broke down, and now he left the church. Where we all the blasted blessings they kept preaching about from the pulpit.

Out of the blue, this pastor I had met from another Christian church, handed me a little book called “The 5 Day Plan to Know God.” As I was reading, it talked about how the Jews were waiting for their Messiah to come save them from all their trials. When he came and told them he came to save them from their sins, not their problems, they were ticked off. A light bulb went off in me and I realized I was like those early Jews; waiting for God to save me from all my problems. Suddenly I realized I had been living the gospel for the wrong reasons. I knew immediately that the only thing I should be concerned about is being saved from my sins and that is why Jesus died for me. A real paradigm change for me.

I also read that Mother Theresa had her doubts in God at times. She knew God had called her to serve the least of these in India but later felt that God had abandoned her because she no longer felt God’s presence or help. Years later God spoke to her and said that the reason He had left her to her own was because he wanted her to understand what the people she was serving felt like (abandoned).

[Anonymous]

bridget_night wrote:

There was a time in my life that I felt like I had been doing all the right things in church, (paying tithing, going to the temple, fasting, reading scriptures, praying. etc) but none of the blessings seemed to be coming

Job went through a similar experience. He was doing everything right when fire came down from heaven and destroyed his sheep. Where were the promised blessings? Nephi’s own brothers wanted to kill him after following him to the New World. He felt as if he had been abandoned by God.

Joseph Smith went through this as well. He was in Liberty Jail, which was more like a dungeon. The saints were being persecuted, and Joseph was unable to help them, being stuck in jail for months, not being allowed to see a judge, or to be put on trial for any crime. He was too tall to stand up in the dungeon, which was an unheated basement open to the cold with bars on the windows. He had a thin jacket and small blanket with which to cope. His prayer is in the Doctrine and Covenants. He asks where God is hiding, and how he can ignore the prayers of his people. In response God gives him a revelation in which he tells him that if he is torn from his family, put in jail, and the jaws of hell gape open after him, it shall be for his good and give him experience.

Some of the greatest revelations came out of that jail.

But Job went on to receive many blessings as did Nephi and Joseph Smith. Our faith too must be tested, proved and stretched at times.

[Anonymous]

rrosskopf wrote:

bridget_night wrote:

There was a time in my life that I felt like I had been doing all the right things in church, (paying tithing, going to the temple, fasting, reading scriptures, praying. etc) but none of the blessings seemed to be coming

Job went through a similar experience. He was doing everything right when fire came down from heaven and destroyed his sheep. Where were the promised blessings? Nephi’s own brothers wanted to kill him after following him to the New World. He felt as if he had been abandoned by God.

Joseph Smith went through this as well. He was in Liberty Jail, which was more like a dungeon. The saints were being persecuted, and Joseph was unable to help them, being stuck in jail for months, not being allowed to see a judge, or to be put on trial for any crime. He was too tall to stand up in the dungeon, which was an unheated basement open to the cold with bars on the windows. He had a thin jacket and small blanket with which to cope. His prayer is in the Doctrine and Covenants. He asks where God is hiding, and how he can ignore the prayers of his people. In response God gives him a revelation in which he tells him that if he is torn from his family, put in jail, and the jaws of hell gape open after him, it shall be for his good and give him experience.

Some of the greatest revelations came out of that jail.

But Job went on to receive many blessings as did Nephi and Joseph Smith. Our faith too must be tested, proved and stretched at times.

I recognize you’re trying to be helpful here and I know it’s very difficult for you to understand because you have not experienced the trauma that Bridget and many others here have experienced. But this is not helpful. Bridget is neither Job, Nephi, nor Joseph Smith. She’s Bridget, and her experiences are not Job’s, Nephi’s nor Joseph’s.

[Anonymous]

Maybe we should be praying for problems & challenges in life instead of blessing food for our health or blessing on our children when they

go off to school, etc. I have taken “a run” at this topic for a few days & came up short every time. If anyone needs further explanation, please

let me know.

My point is: we all have gone through traumatic events in our life. Two people can experience the same identical trauma and react differently

in the process. For one person the event can be devastating and we question our belief system. The next person will look at it as a faith

promoting experience. And both will be correct. It is not that one is less faithful & the other more faithful. It is my opinion: that

the person who gets through the experience & comes out intact on the other side, has a responsibility to show empathy & compassion for the

person who is struggling.

When our family was faced with the sexual abuse of my daughter, we were struggling emotionally, mentally, spiritually. We would go to church

and everything was absolutely BLACK. I talked with our Bishop, Stake President & others with little or no solutions suggested. They frankly, are

not trained to deal with problems like this & I wasn’t prepared to deal with it either. Everyone knew we were struggling & no one approached

us. It took time to get through it. I can’t say we got over it. The process was not a blessing & I wouldn’t wish the experience on my worst enemy.

The worse thing was to go to Fast & Testimony Meeting & hear how someone lost their car keys, prayed about it & God answered their prayer.

I prayed about what we were going through & got silence. Believe me: I am not being critical.

One thing this experience has taught me is: be more compassionate. I may never completely understand what you are going through but, I

can talk to you & say something to the effect: you are not alone. If you want to talk, I’m available. I am a good listener.

My opinion is: this is how the Promised Blessings can come. They do not always come directly from God.

I hope I didn’t go off topic.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for sharing that MM. Definitely not off topic.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for posting that Minyan Man. It helped me.

[Anonymous]

Minyan Man wrote:

Maybe we should be praying for problems & challenges in life instead of blessing food for our health or blessing on our children when they

go off to school, etc.

You’re definitely more likely to get what you ask for, that’s for sure.

Minyan Man wrote:

One thing this experience has taught me is: be more compassionate. I may never completely understand what you are going through but, I

can talk to you & say something to the effect: you are not alone. If you want to talk, I’m available. I am a good listener.

My opinion is: this is how the Promised Blessings can come. They do not always come directly from God.

I really like and appreciate this perspective. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

That was beautiful, minyan man. Thank you so much for sharing it.

[Author]

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