"And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about."
- Haruki Murakami
But, it didn’t come all at once; it came little by little. I can’t testify to you that a testimony comes and grows based on the amount of times we stretch ourselves. Every time we read the scriptures, every time we pray, every time we testify of the truths we now... that is how it comes. At times we feel that a testimony is a big huge thing that takes forever for us to acquire. But really, it is acquired little by little. That is how testimonies grow. To quote President Thomas S. Monson:
"The tree that never had to fight
for sun and sky and air and light,
but stood out in the open plain
and always got its share of rain,
never became a forest king
but lived and died a scrubby thing.
for sun and sky and air and light,
but stood out in the open plain
and always got its share of rain,
never became a forest king
but lived and died a scrubby thing.
The man who never had to toil
to gain and farm his patch of soil,
who never had to win his share
of sun and sky and light and air,
never became a manly man
but lived and died as he began.
Good timber does not grow with ease:
the stronger wind, the stronger trees;
the further sky, the greater length;
the more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
in trees and men good timbers grow."
to gain and farm his patch of soil,
who never had to win his share
of sun and sky and light and air,
never became a manly man
but lived and died as he began.
Good timber does not grow with ease:
the stronger wind, the stronger trees;
the further sky, the greater length;
the more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
in trees and men good timbers grow."
The same is true for our testimonies. We can either grow and become greater, or we can become a small little terrified person with no foundation as the winds come. (See Helaman 5:12) I am sure that days will come, indeed they will, where your and my testimony will be put to the test. May we be able to hold firm in that day.
I can promise you all that I love it here. This work is amazing. It is hard. But if it wasn’t, it would not be worth it. How grateful I am for "the road less traveled" so I can grow even more.
This week, like all the others, has been full of amazing things and miracles. So much happens that at times it seems impossible to take a snapshot of what happens. All our investigators are progressing, and it is amazing to watch them grow. I love it. We are able to be the guides to people who do not know where to find the truth of the gospel and a fullness of joy. We have had success; we have had people laugh in our faces. But, we are still here, and the Church is still true. It always will be. I hope that you all have a great week!
Much love,
Elder Gale
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