Organizing thoughts

I had a lot of thoughts go through my head today and I wanted a place to write them all down and try to organize what I learned. In church today we talked about working towards perfection and not getting down on ourselves. I particularly enjoyed the story that was told about a young girl falling down a ski slope and saying over and over as she fell, "I'm all right, I'm okay, I'm all right. " and how sometimes life throws us a lot to take and we feel like we are falling and need to just yell out that we're all right all the way down. It seems that life piles things high all at once. The pessimistic side of me always watches over my shoulder when things are going well. I wonder when it is all going to blow up in my face. And then there are times when I watch the trials of others and be so grateful that I am not dealing with that right now. It seems that life has just been so sad lately, and as I looked around at the sisters at Church today, my heart was so full. So sad for these women that I love who are yelling out "I'm all right, I'm okay." One dear friend suffers the loss of a miscarriage, another deals with one more negative pregnancy test after undergoing fertilization, another who's home was destroyed in a fire, one who struggles with depression, another who's back is out, another who is all swollen up and awaiting the arrival of a new baby, struggles with children, struggles with spouses and extended family, each of us with our own troubles, bearing our burdens and tyring to pick each other up as we bounce past. What is with this journey? Then tonight I get a call from my poor father, so ridden with sadness. He has finally hit the Depression phase of his pending divorce, he finally realized that she is not coming back, and he must now figure out what comes next. I began my coucle to him with what do you wish for? Where would you want to be in 5 years? But of course, you try to ask a depressed person those questions, it didn't go well. After counseling him to find himself a good psychologist, I turned where I should have turned in the first place. "Trust In The Lord With All Thine Heart And Lean Not Unto Thine Own Understanding." Who can argue with that. In all things the Lord watches over us. I asked my dad if he had spent some time on his knees. He said "well, yes....I've prayed." and I said, I think you need to spend some serious time on your knees showing Heavenly Father that you trust him and seeking his council in your situation. And the same goes for each of my sweet sisters who I feel so much of their pain, and also to myself as I deal with my personal trials, Trust in Him..... And be Gentle with ourselves as we exercise our Faith in the Lord and Grow to be worthy to return to live with him...

Like a gentle wind can blow the clouds from the sky,
Like a gentle touch can ease the pain of goodbye,
Like a gentle smile embraces empty souls in lonely places,
We should be more gentle with ourselves.

Like the friend who gently builds us up when we're down,
Like a gentle kiss can turn our world all around,
We've been hurt by others often,
We've forgiven and forgotten,
We should be more gentle with ourselves.

Life can be hard but
we need not be so hard
on ourselves,
If we will see

Like the Shepherd leads his flock with gentle commands.
With his gentle voice that only hearts understand.
One thing we can know for certain, He has borne the awful burdens
so we can be more gentle with ourselves.

One thing that I know for certain:
He will bear my every burden,
So I can be gentle with myself.