Importance

I lost it. I lost it all.

I was working on my paper on the Human Genome Project. If you think I write technical, then you should try reading Dr. Venters paper about how he spent over a decade decoding human DNA. It is a beast. So I finished his paper, it's fifty pages and very technical. It took me all week to read. It then took me all day (this is probably what I get for doing homework on Sunday) to write my report on his report. I tried transferring my paper to another computer so I could print it off and hand it in tomorrow, and now it's gone. It's deleted and I can't find it. My computer denies all existence of a paper about the Human Genome. It's like some Men in Black conspiracy.

That is the "I lost it".

Now for the "I lost it all".

I don't know why, but when my single paper on the Human Genome Project got erased so did absolutely EVERYTHING concerning all the work I've done this semester. Every assignment, every class note, every reading note I have done in every class this semester is gone. Poof. All gone.

It's all gone. It's like the entire semester hasn't happened. Anything I don't have a hard copy of (which is nothing) I have no proof of its existence.

So now I am going to spend all night rewriting this paper and trying to download all of my professors powerpoints, syllabi, assignments, and all that so I won't fall too far behind.

And than I read Angel's blog. I read about how little Zeke (two frogs) was found outside in the road by himself. I then am reminded that Eric went two months without a job. Becky's grandmother has died, and all the drama that is occurring in her family. More and more people are loosing their jobs daily. Life seems grim, and it seems a little bit harder to get up every morning.

And then I think of what's important:
I have a family who loves me
I have no real responsibilities yet, so I can afford to mess up and go at a slower pace
I have learned to smile
I have known true and genuine love
Though people may not understand my words, they can understand me
I am a son of God and He loves me
I have an Elder Brother who gave the ultimate sacrifice on my behalf

And then I have to think, "so what?" to all the bad things in my life. They are not important. It's not that life "could be worse" (I can't stand that philosophy). Rather it's "my life's not bad at all". It's like a plain cheese pizza instead of pepperoni. I'd rather have the pepperoni, but a pizza's not anything to complain about. I'm still eating it.

And I must say, I am so thankful for the knowledge I have. I am so thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am so thankful to know that this life isn't all. I am so thankful to know that even in my lowest and darkest moments there is someone who knows how I feel and all He wants is to lift me up. I am so thankful for the knowledge that I've never gone too far. I am so thankful for mistakes and pain.

Think of this. I think it is absolutely beautiful. Heavenly Father doesn't want us to sin. He doesn't want us to feel pain and be sad. He wants us to do the right thing. He wants us to follow Him. But no matter the situation He can make it so that it is for our benefit. Case in point: Alma the Younger.

Alma the Younger needs to talk to his son, Corianton, since he had a problem with the law of chastity. Now Heavenly Father would rather this never had happened, but it did, and He will never interfere with our agency. Instead of stopping it, He used this awful moment to teach about Christ's Atonement. We recieve insight about the Atonement here that we don't recieve anywhere else.

Another case; alot of the introductory pages of the Book of Mormon were lost. What happened? Heavenly Father commanded Nephi to create the small plates which were a very intimate account of Nephi and his family. It is such a blessing that we now have these small plates of Nephi. After we've made mistakes and hurt ourselves, Heavenly Father loves to come in with open arms and explain why it isn't the end.

And it is never the end. No matter how bad it gets, we can always remind ourselves that "I am bigger than this problem, because I am bigger than this life". There is so much more to us than this life. We will exist far, far longer than any of the problems we will encounter in this life. So why dwell?

As President Hinckly said, (to paraphrase) this life is not meant to be endured. It is meant to be lived and enjoyed.

Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy.
~ 2 Ne 2:25

If this isn't God creating miracles out of mistakes, I don't know what is.

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