Faith: Lessons I'm Learning

Today in church a lot of people talked about trials and overcoming challenges in life through faith and this gave me another opportunity to reflect on how I strengthen my own faith through the trials I have been given. I see people who are sharing in similar experiences, and many people experiencing things much more difficult and it makes me think a lot about faith.
I feel like in life whenever we come to a trial we also come to a crossroads of faith, one shared in the story of Job in the bible. Job is such a wonderful and faithful example of how to handle the difficult times in our lives. Job of course is sorely tested and during his trials his family loses faith, as evidenced in Job 2:9, "Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die."
Clearly his wife is fed up, she has had enough of these difficulties and she really feels like Job ought to give up as well, because really isn't it sometimes too much? Job of course responds with faith, Job 2:10, "But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips."
From this example I learn a few things, one, it is not a sin too complain, or recognize that you are experiencing a trial, it is even a matter of course that some of our trials may come about as lessons from a loving Heavenly Father. It is foolish to expect that this life would be easy. I love a quote that I discovered on my mission from the October 2007 General Conference, a talk by President Henry B Eyring titled, 'God helps the Faithful Priesthood Holder,' he says,
"But it is never going to be easy for you or for those you serve. There will always be pain in service and in the repentance necessary to bring the power of the Atonement to change hearts. That is in the nature of what you are called to do. Think of the Savior, whose service you are in. At what point in His mortal life can you see an instance wen it was easy for Him? Did He ask easy things of His disciples then? Then why should it ever be easy in His service or for His disciples?"
Finally, I was reminded of a lesson I learned watching the movie 'Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration', which I really love and highly recommend and can be watched if you go to this web address here: http://www.mormonchannel.org/joseph

There is a point towards the end where Joseph is talking to Emma as he is about to surrender himself to trial at Carthage Jail, which for those who aren't familiar with the history (really, watch the movie), is where Joseph and his brother are soon after murdered by an angry mob. After Joseph explains what he is about to do and that he intends to go because it is God's will, Emma asks, "Do you ever wonder if He asks too much?" Which considering their lives to this point and the trials they have undergone, seems a fair question, and Joseph, ever an example to me of faith answers simply, "I do not let myself."
This part of the movie has stood out to me every time I watched it, even though it is just a few moments, I think partly because the first time I saw it, maybe 8 years ago, I was really surprised by the idea. As time has gone by and I have revisited the idea over the years, and carried those thoughts in my heart, I have learned that it is easier to have faith and hope if you stop asking. Instead of saying, "Why is this happening to me?" I try to ask myself, "What can I learn from this?" "How can I make this situation better?" and "What does the Lord expect of me?"
I have found that I can't avoid hard things, but I can find my way through them. I still occasionally spend a few minutes here and there feeling sorry for myself, because while I know it isn't productive, it does kind of feel nice sometimes to wallow in the despair and frustration of life. Afterwards because I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who wants me to be happy, I pick myself up, or sometimes he lifts me up, and I get back in the game, because real joy comes in those moments when we have to work at it.
I know this isn't specific to my condition, and I know that not everyone who reads this will share in my same beliefs, but this is my story, and I get to decide how I tell it. I decided years ago that the only true and lasting happiness comes from living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and if you love something share it.