Friday, January 31, 2020
Beyond Comprehension
Being human, I cannot comprehend or imagine the amount of pain Jesus Christ went through in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Calvary. It has always been said that the worst pain a woman experiences is childbirth and the worst pain a man encounters is having a kidney stone. Now, imagine this... As of right now we have roughly 7.5 billion people on the earth, that number fluctuates daily, even minutely. Okay, now add that to the billions and trillions of other human beings that have graced this earth since Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden. Think of how many women that is that have given birth and how many men that have dealt with kidney stones. However, that is not the only pain experienced by humankind. There is: broken bones, surgeries, broken hearts, migraines, shingles, heart attacks, arthritis, slipped disks, appendicitis, endometriosis, gout, ulcers, fibromyalgia, and mental illnesses, not to mention even the small pains such as: stubbed toes, scratched knees, stepping on a lego, pulled muscles, etc, etc. Now imagine how every bit of pain ranging from a mosquito bite to multiple sclerosis and beyond was felt by one man...one perfect, loving, Son of God. It is so hard to envision being tested by just you and your family's pain, but to picture taking upon oneself every single being whoever enriched this earth for any amount of time's pain is mind-boggling. If there is one thing I've learned though, it is that we don't have to understand it to believe it. In Alma 32:21 it reads, "And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." I know I am not perfect, I don't have perfect looks, a perfect life, or perfect faith. Be that as it may, I still have faith and I still have hope. Christ didn't give up in the Garden or on the Cross, sure He asked if He must continue, but He told Heavenly Father "not my will, but thine be done". Because Christ didn't give up on us we don't have to suffer as He did nor do we have to suffer alone. Doctrine and Covenants 104:82 reads, "And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call upon my name, behold, I will give you the victory." Read that again, "And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call upon my name, behold, I will give you the victory." All He asks is that we pray in faith, realizing we can't conquer on our own. He wants to help us! I know most the time that doesn't mean He will take it from us though He has the power to do so, usually it means He will strengthen us to lift the burdens we carry, succor us through the pain, or comfort us in the midst of affliction. Elder David A. Bednar once said, "Strong faith in the Savior is submissively accepting of His will and timing in our lives, even if the outcome is not what we hoped for or wanted." So, even though there is no way we can comprehend the amount of pain, heartache, and anguish the Savior suffered, we can have faith that He did endure it all. He hurt for me and He hurt for you and I believe He hurts more when we don't ask Him for help. I am so thankful for a loving Savior who went through the exact pain I am burdened with so that I don't have to abide it alone. One of my favorite hymns reads this,
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