Brothers and sisters, I believe that one day, each of you will look back at the canceled events, the sadness, the disappointments, and the loneliness attendant to the challenging times we are passing through to see them overshadowed by choice blessings and increased faith and testimonies. I believe that in this life, and in the life to come, your afflictions, your Ammonihah, your Liberty Jail, will be consecrated for your gain.
Elder Gary E. Stevenson, "Highly Favored of the Lord", General Conference, October 2020
It's easy to focus on the negative when you're smack dab in the middle of something difficult. Believe me, I catch myself doing just that when I pass through hard things. We all pass through hard things. That's mortality.
As I pass through something hard, and as I look back, I realize that I didn't ever walk alone. I received physical or spiritual strength. I received an angel bearing me up in some cases. I received untold blessings for me as well as my family.
In fact, in one case, I was guided by the Lord and I sure didn't deserve His guidance at the time. But...my family did deserve it. Then, after my diagnosis, we were going to move, but again, the Lord was guiding us back to Gilbert, for some reason still unforeseeable or understandable.
So, the Lord is walking with us. He is there whether or not we deserve it. He is constantly knocking at the door, wanting to enter. He is even helping us from behind the door that we occasionally, if ever, open for Him. He does not ever forsake us regardless of our mindset.
And as we look back, we will most definitely see that we received more positive than negative. I know I have. And that, right there, makes it easier for me to look for the positive as I pass through something negative.