Day 129

I'm reading 1st Nephi chapter 17 today. This chapter is about Nephi and his family traveling through the wilderness and Nephi being inspired to build a boat. I'm focusing on the first part of the chapter today.

It amazes me how he mentioned a couple of times how they "bore many afflictions". I can't imagine wandering through the wilderness. Especially back in that time frame where there was no technology at all, no camping gear to speak of, nothing like what we have now to take with us when we "rough it". I just can't fathom what it was like for them to have to have left behind almost everything they owned and to go completely out of their comfort zone. And on top of that, the women were all pregnant. I've never been pregnant, but I can tell that being in the heat is uncomfortable, and you get tired really easily! I can't imagine being pregnant and wandering through the wilderness, and then on top of that, giving birth out there in the middle of nowhere.

But through all of those trials and tribulations, they kept the faith. They continued to rely on Heavenly Father and knew that he had a plan for them, and that this wilderness part was only temporary.

Reading this part of the chapter taught me 2 things. 1. Comparing to their trials, mine are not that huge. It could have been a lot worse! 2. The Lord is always guiding us as long as we have faith. And that means he'll take us through our own "wilderness" in order for us to get to our own promised land. He hasn't forgotten us, and he has it all planned out. But we need to go through something hard to really appreciate the end result.