In 2016 my family embarked on an adventure. We had the feeling to move to a new home after thinking we would stay in our old home forever. This initial feeling seemed uncomplicated but the move was filled with complications as well as miracles. The biggest complication was we were not just relocating our family we were relocating our business of 25 years. My husband knew more of how difficult this move would be but with unfailing faith he led the family through a significant and life changing move.
When we were finally in our home but only in the middle of transitioning the business, two years and many complications later, I faced a tough day. I was feeling the burden of that transition. My husband was gone a lot and I was left to manage the farm, and family needs alone. My work would often last all day and into the night. Due to our soil composition our new trees need water everyday. Since we were only going to need to water the trees by hand for a year, at the most, I added that to my list of already overwhelming responsibilities. On that difficult day I remember praying about my situation and asking if there was anyway possible that I could get some relief.
The answer to my prayer was not expected but it was just what was needed. I was promised that if I continued God would make me equal to my tasks. I knew that promise was true because I had felt the power of Jesus Christ before. I knew in order to qualify for that power that I needed to be on the correct course and then God would help me to achieve what was needed. The answer to my prayer told me indirectly that my course was correct. I knew that if He could help me in the past He would help me now. So I moved forward and continued my work.
Now we are still more years and more complications later. The difficulties of my life have only quadrupled. When the pandemic hit it sped up the transition of our business two years and I was thrust into full-time employment. I was not only working full-time but I experienced heightened family needs, and like many others was homeschooling. I prepared a room at work for my son and managed his classwork while at the same time I managed my husband’s office. During that time I was also asked to be a leader in my church. I had just suffered a great personal loss and was recovering from a serious illness. Regardless of my circumstances I felt peace in accepting the position. I also felt the power of a blessing given by our Prophet Russel M. Nelson in an April 2020 conference and I knew the Savior would continue to strengthen me.
Still even another year and more complications later we were preparing for another change in the family. My husband’s father, who had been battling a disease which we thought would eventually take his life, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He decided that he would not fight the cancer so we knew our time was short. We shifted priorities to be with him as much as possible and provide whatever comfort and help we could. We pushed some of our responsibilities aside, absolutely certain that we would catch up later. While my father-in-law was approaching the end of his life my father was also diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This required me to go to my Father’s home to assist him while my husband assisted his family. What we thought would be time to catch our breath soon turned into helping my father to battle a very aggressive cancer.
After returning home from a weekend of caring for my father and mother I realized I would need to get the hoses out again and water our trees. Our poor trees were struggling from the dry spring. We had not intended to use hoses to water our orchards for 5 years, but circumstances beyond our control had delayed our watering system for 4 uncomfortable years. The morning demands required me to get the old hoses out one more spring and do some mending to a hose that was about to be thrown out. There wouldn’t be time to buy a new one and I had been raised to mend things and wear them out. This was the chore that brought me to my knees years earlier. As I pondered on my feelings of the stressful situation I was in I was amazed at how remarkably easy it was to do the chore that had once stretched my strength. I felt calm and a thought had again come to my mind, the repeated message, “If you move forward with your work I will help you.” I knew my Heavenly Father heard my prayers then and I know it now. I knew that Jesus’ atoning sacrifice would strengthen me and I know that even more intimately now. I now have greater faith to endure difficulties. To cheerfully do what was in my power and then stand still to see the hand of the Lord do the rest.
His gospel is true. The scriptures are full of endless possibilities if we have faith! The scriptures are not just stories of those that lived before, they are guidance to help us heal and rise above our individual troubles! Miracles still happen today! God will strengthen us to lift our burdens that are intended to polish us, not crush us. I know that our Heavenly Father and Savior are there for us in the happy times as well as the sad times. I believe that Christ's suffering for us is real and as we allow God to guide us our burdens will make us into the people we were meant to be. We can be happy during difficult times because Jesus bore our troubles already and He only needs us to trust Him with them so He can grant us peace.
- Andrea Lindsey
