Some thoughts...

** If you've run up against a brick wall, it's really only a question of how important what is on the other side is to you.**

**A speaker told a story from the perspective of a farmer's field. We - the little leaves - are sprouting up happily in the sunshine when suddenly the tractor comes by and dumps a couple tons of manure on top of us. The perspective then, as the crop, is that something really cruddy has happened to us. We aren't sure what to do next because we are lost in our perspective of being covered in cow crap (or chicken, because we all know the chicken kind smells so much worse!) and we can no longer see the sun and we certainly don't feel like we are growing when we finally burst out only to be buried in crud again! From the perspective of the Farmer, we are being strengthened and nourished and in the end will be a much greater crop to harvest. But from our view of things, we always react with feelings of fear and avoidance to the sound of the tractor coming!!**

I really liked this analogy. It makes sense to me that things are going to happen whether we like it or not and we really have to try to see the big picture! We came here to gain faith and to use that faith to strengthen our souls. We knew so much before we came here and then it was all wiped away and we were born to an earth where we would know nothing and have to rely on our Father and the fact that He knows how to help us and strengthen us and that He is watching over us and wants to see us happy and back with Him someday.  It's a great thought to remember when you're struggling through that everyday crap that we have to struggle through! I just pray that I can have faith and trust in the Lord that He knows what is best!