This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the General Women's Session of the October 2015 Conference.
I remember thinking, when I first heard President Uchtdorf's talk called "A summer with Great-Aunt Rose," how sweet his little parable was and how it was just the right thing for all the young girls listening (this session included the 8-year-olds and up, so there were even more young girls than usual). I did not particularly think it was a deep or profound talk. But it was cute and had a good message about gratitude.
So, as I re-read his talk this week, I was a little surprised how much depth it suddenly seemed to take on. This, for example:
“I imagine there were many dark and dreary days for the pioneers," Aunt Rose said. "Their life was so hard—we can’t even imagine. But in this painting, everything is bright and hopeful. This girl has a spring in her step, and she is moving forward and upward.”
It felt so touching to me reading it now, thinking of how many little and big sorrows life can have. Things which have taken me by surprise; things I didn't imagine facing or want to face—and many harder and heavier things I haven't faced myself, but have watched those I love struggle through. I thought about how frequently these days I lose the sunny perspective that previously came easily to me. But I want to be like the girl in Aunt Rose's painting. I want to move forward and upward, full of hope and joy. I want to be grateful for every day on the covenant path. And this, too, hit me harder than it did when I heard it before:
Great-Aunt Rose continued: “There is enough that doesn’t go right in life, so anyone can work themselves into a puddle of pessimism and a mess of melancholy. But I know people who, even when things don’t work out, focus on the wonders and miracles of life. These folks are the happiest people I know.”“But,” Eva said, “you can’t just flip a switch and go from sad to happy.”“No, perhaps not,” Aunt Rose smiled gently, “but God didn’t design us to be sad. He created us to have joy! So if we trust Him, He will help us to notice the good, bright, hopeful things of life. And sure enough, the world will become brighter. No, it doesn’t happen instantly, but honestly, how many good things do?"
I love that. It is simple, but it's not glib or shallow. I have gotten this revelation from my own prayers too, when I've struggled to find optimism or hope. I have asked why it is so easy to feel the hard and heavy things, and to let them dominate my perspective. The answer I got was simple and piercing: "The beautiful and hopeful is there too. But you have to turn your head and look."
President Uchtdorf isn't naive. I'm sure from his own life experiences he knows what he's talking about! It's not that it's easy to be hopeful when life is hard. Of course it takes effort. But it is possible, and God will help us notice those "good, bright, hopeful things of life." We just have to choose it! President Uchtdorf has Great-Aunt Rose say,
"Faith and hope will open your eyes to the happiness that is placed before you."
I like that way of describing it. Even in the hardest of times, the happiness from God is there. But will I open my eyes to it? Will I turn my head and look?
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