May Our Burdens be Light as we Live Faithfully and Mindfully

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.
~ Doctrine and Covenants 121: 7-8 ~

Life presses all kinds of burdens on each of us, some light but others relentless and heavy. People struggle every day under burdens that tax their souls. Many of us struggle under such burdens. They can be emotionally or physically ponderous. They can be worrisome, oppressive, and exhausting. And they can continue for years.
That Your Burdens May Be Light ~ L. Whitney Clayton Of the Presidency of the Seventy

Until we fully submit to the principle truth of humble and mindful living, we may still operate out of unrealistic expectations that God (as well as others) will take away our suffering. I came to the personal revelation that my expectations on others to rescue me continued my own sufferings and resentments. It was upon this realization that gave me plenty of reasons to feel sorry for my own self. It fueled my bitterness and resentment. It stifled my spiritual growth and ability to place honest effort in trusting in God with genuine faith. I spent most of my time and energy hammering away other peoples mistakes and shortcomings while not working on my own.

As my load became lighter, I grew to appreciate my own personal relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

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As I began a spiritual pilgrimage of living a more mindful and spiritual meaningful life, my eyes began to open. Other peoples issues and problems appeared to make my own look insignificant. Yet, I saw them facing their struggles with genuine faith, courage, and confidence. Others appeared trapped in their own situations as bad as my own. Again, they bore their sorrows and adversity with more fortitude by accepting the fact that their faith and trust is in God alone. Through their faith and struggles – I grew to become grateful and appreciate my own problems and mistakes.

My burden became light when I fully embraced the truth that no one owed me anything – except for me. All that wasted energy and time being angry toward what others were or were not doing kept me from growing faithfully in God. As my load became lighter, I grew to appreciate my own personal relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

And part of this revelation came in that moment of despair when I found myself alone. My anger was not toward God or others. It was toward my own insufficiency and inadequacy. Since then, I no longer expect easy solutions during seasons of turmoil. It is within my own personal faith in God that I am empowered to endure. This is accomplished through the light of gratitude and understanding. Only I am capable of meeting my needs, correcting my own wayward thoughts, and grow spiritually through Jesus Christ.

Today’s Prayer and Meditation

Heavenly Father, let me not expect any easy solutions as I face my own challenges and struggles. Help me identify those expectations that I have of you and others that you send into my life to minister to me. Assist me in realizing that many of my difficulties were created by my own reactions. I desire to seek out your guidance to become better each day. In Jesus Name, Amen!