Powerful Feelings and the Gospel
How the Gospel is relevant to feeling big feelings.
I’ve had very eye-opening encounters over the past couple of weeks that helped me to understand more of why God gave us feelings to feel and emotions to expose. A close friend from my youth died a sudden death. I’ll name her Alice. The family decided not to tell the majority of the public until a month after Alice’s actual death. So naturally, I felt a lot of emotions. Anger mixed with confusion mostly… because I felt out of the loop.
I had a recent conversation with a friend I haven’t talked to in over a decade. He (let’s say John) and I hung out with Alice often.
Me: I feel like I could’ve done more to help, but now it's just depressing honestly.
John: You can only do so much at the same time. We both tried in our own ways. But people have to want to change within themselves.
And it was true. Tender, and true. There were so many things we didn’t know about Alice, and life rapidly brings us to different places.
Distant from each other, living our own lives, but remembering the past (precious and drastic). Still, there definitely were things John and I knew about Alice separately.
I have nothing more to say that can truly fit with how I'm feeling.
Sadness seems too small.
Depression seems empty and hollow.
A pinching sorrow seems close.
I thought about Jesus
and the things I learned
within my major
in marriage and family studies.
The Lord influences and does not force us to change. That thought hurt a lot. I don’t know why, and I couldn’t have explained it clearly to you. Like an open wound being sanitized by alcohol. The pain felt for the very purpose of proper healing — when our wounds are ready for the band-aid. I knew that there was nothing on earth that can meet my needs for deep consolation and comfort. It was something I had to take to God.
It’s hard to manage big feelings like sorrow, anger, or anxiety — especially when we subconsciously learn undisciplined skills growing up, from what we’ve seen, heard, or felt strongly in our bodies.
But one thing’s for sure — because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we don’t need to do it alone. You and I don’t have to do all the work alone to become the best version of ourselves. The best of the best we think we could be.
Heavenly Father thinks higher of who we are and what we can become, more than we can ever think of ourselves — through His Son, our Brother, Jesus. Through Him, we can become new. Not by ourselves.
As we receive and accept Jesus.
As we listen to His words
and genuinely believe
that His whole being added to our soul
turns into something powerful.
Something hopeful.
Peaceful. Full of loving-kindness.
Increased power to choose the good for ourselves and others.
Seeing miracles in marriage, relationships, and the work we do daily.
He is in us already,
the miracle is the moment we feel Him within.
Hear Him. Jesus Christ lives.
He knows you.
He cries with us,
and I’m so glad He does.
Take heart,
a song for divine sorrow.
The Test
By Janice Kapp Perry
Tell me friend, why are you blind?
Why doesn't He who worked the miracles
Send light into your eyes?
Tell me friend if you understand
Why doesn't He with power to raise the dead
Just make you whole again?It would be so easy for Him
I watch you and in sorrow question why
Then you my friend in perfect faith replyDidn't He say He sent us to be tested?
Didn't He say the way would not be sure?
But didn't He say that we could live with Him forevermore
Well and whole, if we but patiently endure?
After the trial, we will be blessed
But this life is the testTell me friend, I see your pain
Why when you pray in faith for healing
Does the crippling thorn remain?
Help me see if you understand
Why doesn't He who healed the lame man
Come with healing in His wings?It would be so easy for him
I watch you and in sorrow question why
Then you my friend in perfect faith replyDidn't He say He sent us to be tested?
Didn't He say the way would not be sure?
But didn't He say we could live with Him forevermore
Well and whole, if we but patiently endure?
After the trial, we will be blessed
But this life is the testTell me love, why must you die?
Why must your loved ones stand with empty arms
And ask the question why?
Help me know so I can go on
How when your love in faith sustained me
Can the precious gift be gone?From the depths of sorrow I cry
Though pangs of grief within my soul arise
The whisperings of the Spirit still my criesDidn't He say He sent us to be tested?
Didn't He say the way would not be sure?
But didn't He say we could live with Him forever more
Well and whole, if we but patiently endure?
After the trial, we will be blessed
But this life is the test