Finding employment has never been easy for me. I have always been good at school. Navigating my way through difficult courses, figuring out what I need to do to graduate, and taking tests have come easily to me. The challenge has always been transferring my education into post-graduation employment. When people find out what degrees I have, they have a hard time believing that I cannot find a good job. While a JD/MBA seems like a valuable degree, not all jobs are looking for someone with advanced degrees. Often those looking for advanced degrees are looking to hire someone with more experience than I can currently offer. While I know I would be a good employee for many different companies, it is hard for me to convince potential employers of that. I have decided that to this point in my life, finding a job is my trial of faith that I need to overcome. I have not suffered from tragedies, health problems, or major spiritual doubts as many others have. In fact, I have truly been blessed throughout my life. I know that everyone needs trials to keep them on the path to God. This is my trial and challenge and how I react to it will determine my future and that of my family.
Lately, as part of my daily scripture study, I have read conference talks of church leaders from the April 2014 general conference that have helped me realize how I can develop greater faith in the Lord. One of these talks was by Jean A. Stevens of the Primary General Presidency. In her talk she states that as we develop greater faith in the lord, we can access His power to deliver us. She goes on to say that He will bless us not necessarily in the way we want, but in the way that will be best for us. Prayer is an essential part of faith, as it aligns our will with our Heavenly Father's. As we develop our faith, we realize we are not alone in facing our challenges.
David A. Bednar also gave a talk that has been valuable in helping me deal with the trial of not having a job. Using an analogy, he tells us that burdens are necessary for us to get where we need to go. He told a story about a friend who got stuck in the snow. The friend was able to get out of the snow by putting a load of firewood into his truck. Under the burden of the load, the truck was able to gain the traction needed to get out of the snow and help his friend get home safely. Without the traction provided by a burden, we cannot achieve the happiness that the Lord has made possible for us. Having a burden forces us to yoke ourselves to the Lord and have him help us ease our burdens through drawing us closer to Him. This is done through the enabling power of the atonement as the Lord knows how to ease each of our burdens.
The take away from both of these talks is that we need to have faith enough to align our will with the Lord's. Faith will not change the Lord's blessing for us, but it will allow us to recognize the blessings that the Lord has in store for us and help us to bear our burdens and trials more easily. The trial will not be replaced, but the faith needed to overcome the trial will allow us to get through it and learn the lessons that we need to from it. Ultimately, how we respond to trials will provide us with happiness in this life and eternal happiness in the life to come.
I do not know the ultimate result of how I will overcome the trial of unemployment. I do know, however, that if I am obedient to the Lord, have faith in his plan for me, and back up that faith with my own works, I will ultimately see the will of the Lord and overcome the trial. I am grateful for the wise words of our church leaders and I encourage everybody to read them and pray about how you can apply them to your own life.
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