Things Denise Has Been Pondering: Enduring to the End

My sweet sister-in-law Amber is leaving for her mission to Recife Brazil tomorrow afternoon. On Sunday she gave her "farewell" talk about enduring to the end. I don't remember everything about what she said (although it was all wonderful) but I do remember a key point: when you have nothing left to give, endure.

The eternal principle of enduring to the end has been on my mind lately. As I've mentioned before, my loving husband suffers from depression. This is not something that just goes away and it's not his fault and there's not much I can do to help him.

Last week I felt completed defeated. I almost couldn't handle the pain and frustration that often plagues spouses of people who suffer from depression. Amber's talk reminded me that when the day or week feels like eternity, I just have to endure. Endure and remember that this life is short in comparison to the eternities.

Here are some inspirational things that really help me when things get bad:

When I feel alone and forgotten, I try to remember that God is my Heavenly Father. He loves me more that I can ever love my own son (which is hard to fathom) and just as I would never truly leave him, God will never leave me. No matter what heartache I am feeling, both my Father and my Savior know my pains and suffering. My trials may not be removed but I can pray for peace, comfort, and strength.

"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes" (Doc. & Cov. 121: 7-8).