Life Sucks...

Dear Readers,

Life sucks. 

It is so hard. 

It is hard to do what is right.

It is hard to make good choices.

It is hard to prepare to serve a mission. 

All my missionary friends told me that as you get closer to serving a mission, life gets harder. 

You are tempted more than ever before. 

Things fall apart.
Distractions pop up. 

The struggle is so very real. 

And it sucks. 

I remember when these friends were struggling with their own issues prior to leaving.

I was so confused.

"Read your scriptures more," I said naively.

"Just go to the temple every spare moment," I would suggest.

"Pray for heaven's help," I implored. 

And they would smile and say thanks for the advice.

But really, I know now what they were thinking, because it is what I am thinking these days. 

Which is that it is not that easy. 

You do all the things you are supposed to do.

But it is still hard. 

And nobody prepared me for that moment.

The moment when you realize, that although you are doing all that you are supposed to, it's still hard. 

I didn't know. 

Dear readers, the struggle is real. 

Now, are you thoroughly burdened down by the despair of how hard life is?

Good. 

Because from that place you can feel the light that the rest of this post will bring. 

God loves me. 

God loves you.

God loves us in spite of our sins.
He loves us in spite of our willful disobedience.
He loves us when we are stubborn.

He loves us when we make dumb choices.

He loves us when we mess everything up.

Unconditional love= He loves us no matter what.

And God sent us His son.

His loving, perfect son who endured agonies beyond comprehension for us. 

Who suffered and bled so that we could be saved.

Our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. 

And life is hard.

But it wasn't meant to be an easy road.
We are here to struggle, to face challenges, to fight for what is right and to be challenged. 

Sometimes we feel like we are the worst sinner ever. 

Like nobody else's struggles even compare to ours because we are drowning in our trials. 

That we will never make it over the mountain ahead of us.
And that we are doomed to fail. 

I've felt that way before. 

There still are days when I feel that way. 

Sometimes I feel utterly hopeless. 

But, 

God didn't design us to fail. 

So, take a final piece of advice from the beloved President Gordon B. Hinckley, 

And remember,

I believe in you.
I know it is hard.
But heaven is cheering you on.
God loves you. 

Jesus Christ loves you. 

And you will survive this.

Love, Em