Blessings or Burdens?

So I've been thinking about blessings and burdens a lot lately. I guess it really depends on our perspective and what we want to learn out of every situation that comes into our lives. Scriptures can teach us so many things. They can remind us where our priorites should be, and where our treasures should be layed up. Scriptures lead us back on the path when we have wandered out into the worldly mists of darkness. I've always loved reading about the gift of charity, because it is a reminder that charity should be at the heart of everything we do. In order to serve well, we must pray continually for this gift. Because whenever serving and helping others becomes a burden, it's time to get on our knees and pray for this gift. This helps us reexamine and realign our priorities and develop genuine, Christ-like love for others and ourselves. God has promised that those who lose themselves for His sake will find themselves. They will come to understand their individual worth and divine nature and that of others. They will come to understand what charity really means, which is the pure love of Christ. God has promised that those who are found possessed of this gift of charity in the last days "it shall be well with him." Are each of us praying for, and seeking out the gift of charity? Or are we seeking out worldly gifts, pursuits, and pleasures that will not bring true happiness and peace? Are we putting our own needs and wants above all else? If so, our reservoir of peace and joy will always be lacking. We will find counterfeits to fill up our reservoir momentarily, never really coming to understand or realize what true joy is. We can all tap into the gift of charity, yet some can go a whole lifetime without ever choosing to open and use this heavenly gift. Let us all open the gift and use it well, that we may be partakers of our divine nature and divine inheritance. That we may lay up in store treasures in heaven "where moth and dust do not corrupt". Let us be found blessing others lives and enriching our own in the process. We have a friend who has welcomed us into his family with open arms and shown us true charity. He has let us become a part of his family's joys and sorrows. In the last few months we have attended his son's eagle scout court of honor, his high school graduation celebration, and the opening of his mission call. Right now, their family is experiencing many highs, but 5 years ago, they were experiencing one of the lowest of lows. At 14, our friend's son took the car without permission or a driver's license to pick up something from a friend who lived a few blocks away. In the moment, he rationalized that everything would be okay, that he wasn't going far and wouldn't be gone long. He was, after all, a pretty good driver, since he'd had a lot of practice driving a tractor on the family farm in Idaho. On the way to his friend's house, he drove carefully, and cautiously. He drove the speed limit,used his blinkers, stopped at every stop sign, and obeyed all the traffic laws. But what he didn't expect, was a little toddler darting out into the road from his mother's watchful eye at the same time he turned the corner onto his friend's street. The little boy was struck and killed. Our friend's son was charged and the family was harrassed and judged harshly in their community and eventually had to move. Their financial burden was heavy as a result. The little boy's family was forgiving, but the law was not. Our friend's son and their family has had to live with this choice for the last 5 years, and will continue to live with this decision for the rest of their lives. Our friend's son has included the little boy's parents and family in everything. With every step, he has dedicated his life to what this little boy will miss out on. When you look at our friend's son and interact with him, you can tell that this experience has matured him. He is wiser than most 19 year olds. Yes, he still acts like a normal teenager who knows how to be silly, laugh, and have fun, but he has learned charity and he has been a beneficiary of charity from the little boy's family, who could have also chosen not to forgive and judge him harshly. Our friend's son will be an extraordinary missionary because of this heartbreakingly, difficult adversity he has gone through. I think he has learned to make better decisions. He has learned that trials can either make you or break you, and they have made him the fine young man that he is today. We have needed his example and that of his parents in our own lives right now. Our son has made choices that have effected our whole family as well. However, we know that if we continue to love him with the pure love of Christ, and if he continues to correct the mistakes he has made, and has a real desire to change, our family can also look forward to the rainbow after the storm down this road of life. Blessing or Burden? It is all in our perspective and what we choose to learn from everything that comes our way.