A Sure Foundation

Today I went on an adventure to Zions National Park with my Sister Sarah and her family. After we had done a few hikes and had lunch we decided to take a drive out past the tunnel and see what all we could see from the road. The kids were tired and didn't want to walk any longer. As we were driving along the thing that impressed me the most and really hit home was the trees that were far and few in between on the big rocks. 

As I watched in amazement at these trees that had grown out of the rocks the thought passed through my mind that these trees are tough trees and they can withstand anything because they have learned to dig their roots in and they have been able to survive from this foundation of rock rather than soil, where we find most trees. They are able to seek nutrients even though they may have to dig a bit deeper for them. They are able to withstand the storms and the high winds and still stand firm upon their foundation. 

I then reflected upon the scripture in Helaman 5: 12 as I had just read it last night. 

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, 

who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; 

that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, 

yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, 

it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, 

because of the rock upon which ye are built, 

which is a sure foundation, 

a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." 

We to can be tough like these trees as we build our foundation upon our Savior, and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. With him as our foundation we will be able to come through any storm. No matter how beaten and bruised we may become from the storms, winds, and hail that may fall upon us we will remain standing and stronger than before. 

As we pass through these storms in life, we learn to deepen our roots into our foundation of rock, our Redeemer, and we hold on and we are strengthened and provided the much needed spiritual nutrients. With Christ as our foundation of rock we will never be knocked over and the devil will never be able to get us to fall. 

How important it is for us to build our lives upon such a rock. We pass through many storms in life. Some we bring on ourselves and others we pass through because of the agency of others who create these storms and we just happen to be stuck in the middle of them. As we pass through these storms regardless of how we arrived to them, they are our refiners fire. It isn't about the storm but how we manage to handle the storm. How do we cope under pressure, do we break and give up? Or do we hold strong and push through. If our Savior is our foundation we push through and in the end because of all the pressure little by little he is able to shape us into the beautiful and unique jewels he has prepared us to be. 

I know my Savior lives, I know he is with me always and he never gives up on me, so why should I give up on him. Life can be hard, but with him by my side I have been able to pull through many unexpected storms, of which I have become a better and stronger person. I pray that I may always remember, when the going gets tough to stand strong upon my foundation of rock and seek for a stronger connection to my Savior.