My mamma taught me to laugh

“Though hard to you this journey may appear, all is well… All is well”

Oh my mission.. I have had quite the experiences.... So last night I fell asleep like a rock. The minute my head touched the pillow I WAS OUT. Around 2:30 I remember having this weird dream, I don't know what it was about or who was in it but all the sudden it was being interrupted by this terrible high pitched alarm... I finally was half way awake and looked over at Sister Anderson to see she was sleeping restlessly in her bed. So I said her names a few times.. "hermana... sister.. anderson.. andy..." She finally answers "what"... "Do you hear that? what is it??" "Yeah.. it's an alarm..." oh okay.. we both lay back down and fall back asleep.. when all the sudden my subconscious mind clicks in... "SISTER CARLSON! THAT IS A FIRE ALARM! GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED!" ohhhhhhhh "Hey sister anderson we should probably make sure everything is okay! get up!" So both of us are totally out of it can't figure out what is going on. so we grab our keys and our phone and go sit outside to try and wake up... Finally after a 20 minute debate we decide to call president francis... As I explain to him that we thought maybe it was a carbon monoxide sensor he says "Your keys should have a remote to turn it off" and I was like woah.. my car key remote can turn it off???" "Yes, just push the button" "President.. this is like a fire alarm though" "OHHHHHHHH... i thought you were saying a car alarm. come to the mission home and spend the night here. we can figure it out in the morning." (hehe so glad he was as confused as we were... ) So we went to the mission home and spent the night there. In the morning as we were getting ready to go home I tripped and fell up the stairs after feeling like my small toe was ripped off all me and sister Anderson could do is laugh. so hard we could barely breath. IT HAD BEEN A NIGHT... Sister Francis made the comment "At least you are able to laugh about it!" 

If you know me, you will know that I HATE WHEN MY SLEEP IS INTERRUPTED. I am sooo grumpy when I get woken up pre alarm clock. I was sooo tired by the time morning really came today all I wanted to do is cry when the alarm went off... Pre mission life I COULD SLEEP IN A LITTLE... As a missionary.. Not an option... sleep in=disobedience.. disobedience=lack of spirit in your day... By the time I stubbed my toe.. I was ready to just drop my bags and go lay in bed... So what do we do? We laugh. 

My mama taught me to laugh. When you want to cry.. Laugh. How we react to our trials is up to us. Something I love about my mom and my family, when ever we get hurt.. We laugh. To keep from crying when we were little my mom would ALWAYS always always make us laugh. I have a funny mom. In her own goofy way she was teaching us to endure well. 

The trials aren't going to go away if we pitch a fit and scream our way through it. The seas wont calm themselves. We NEED Jesus Christ, He can't speak to us if our mind is wrapped up in bitterness, He can't reach us if we are shutting him out, He can't touch our heart if we building up walls around it.. 

However, He can help us find peace, He can help us find joy, He can calm the seas, and He can help us break down the walls. 

Our fire alarm last night ended up being a total false alarm, we could have stayed at home and fallen back asleep and had a cozy night in our own beds... Or we could have not acted on what we felt was right by going to presidents, it could have been something serious and we could have been hurt. 

Right before I went to bed I prayed last night and asked to be able to understand the spirit, the recognize when God is trying to communicate with me. In this simple way he was able to teach me valuable lessons. 

When you feel something is right, even if it seems crazy... follow it. I am glad we followed what we felt to be right even though nothing was wrong or we could have ended up preaching the gospel in the spirit world! Heavenly Father answers our prayers, not always in the way we like or the way we hope. I do know that no matter how the answer comes or the way the answer is delivered God has a purpose for it. 

When You are going through trials you are NEVER ALONE. He is with us each step of the way. To life us, to carry us, he is not on the side lines cheering us on, he is on the field playing with us, picking us up when we are down, helping us to make the goal. He never leaves us or forgets who we are and what we need. He knows what we need, and often times that is the opposite of our wants for ourselves. He knows what will help us reach our divine measure, He has to stretch us a little to get us there.

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.”

“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.”

What does it mean to "endure it well" To me, it means to let go of my own stubborn selfish wants and desires and to trust in what God knows I need. To hang on tight and keep my arms inside the ride. To know that though the journey seems rough.. I can make it through with Christ. That I can have joy even when the seas seem to rough to cross. Christ is there. To help us find happiness. As I was reading in the book of Mormon today I don't even know how many times I saw the words "joy, happiness, happy, joyous, and peaceful" I saw it enough times to realize.. God wants for us to be happy and to find peace in him.