It is ordained that we come to know our worth as children of God without something as dramatic as a leap from the pinnacle of the temple. All but a prophetic few must go about God's work in very quiet, very unspectacular ways. And as you labor to know him, and to know that he knows you; as you invest your time—and your convenience—in quiet, unassuming service, you will indeed find that "he shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up." (Matthew 4:6.) It may not come quickly. It probably won't come quickly, but there is purpose in the time it takes. We should cherish our spiritual burdens, because God will converse with us through them and will use us to do his work if we carry them well.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “However Long and Hard the Road”
That last sentence, for some reason, leaves a grand impression on my mind. I had never thought of it that way until years ago. God is speaking to me through my challenges. Question is, is He speaking to me literally through them, or figuratively by the fact that as I know Him better, I will better understand my own purpose in the plan, therefore, in a sense, He is conversing with me? Or, is it maybe both?
I had always thought that my challenges, in a way, were a stumbling block, a hindrance keeping me from becoming like God until I overcome them, until I climb over those stumbling blocks to listen better. Therefore, I thought that until I get through them, then I can hear Him.
But the more I understand, the better I realize that He is reaching through my challenges, pulling me through, not waiting on the other side for me. He is speaking to me both figuratively and literally, guiding me with His voice and with His Spirit.