Fear Can Be the Demolisher of Hope

As I've been reflecting on my life, I have come to the conclusion that every single heartache, trial, challenge, and sadness is derived from some level of fear. And fear is brought on from looking back or looking toward the future and not living in the moment. When I feel sad or lonely, I'm not living by hope and faith of what could be or the very blessings and strength Christ is trying to offer me. Fear blinds me from how many amazing opportunities are around me. Fear can make me feel that the trap I am in that is making me so unhappy may just last forever, which is definitely the opposite of Hope. A principle we live by if we desire to be saved and have Christ come to our rescue. Fear is when I am found caught in thoughts that aren't even reality, but I am perceiving them as such. 

Being sick is the worst possible thing in my mind, I swear I have the lowest pain tolerance out of all man kind; however I do know it is possible to stay happy through sickness by trusting that Jesus Christ is right beside you and knows exactly how you feel, for He is the Prince of Peace. You are not alone and there is hope that it will come to an end. You can also trust that it has a purpose and Heavenly Father would not allow anything to happen to you that would not benefit you in one way or another.

Fear is paralyzing. It takes you absolutely nowhere.

At a time when I felt my life was falling apart, fears were attacking me in every way possible.
I felt fear taking over my every thought.
I feared the smallest, most simplest things.
I started to feel alone in my fears and as if they were engulfing me to a point beyond hope.
This was a result of forgetting to trust that Heavenly Father was in charge.
I forgot to believe that He was so aware of my heart and my mind, that He wasn't ever going to leave me.
I was dwelling on the darkness I felt in my life instead of the light that had been there all along. The light that was on the path I wasn't looking down.


The beautiful blessing Christ and His atonement offer us is allowing fear the possibility to be conquered, this possibility exists at any given time. However, it is a constant choice that has to be made every single moment of the day. 

Once upon a time, I had developed a particular fear based on past memories and events. Through the atonement, I found courage to replace my bad memories with new memories, which brought hope and peace into my life. I knew I was never going to progress if I stayed stuck in my fears. I tried something new, trusting in hope and I gained everything! The only thing I lost in that moment was the desire to hang on to all of my fears.

There is light in every single moment. 
The darkness is more noticeable when it is there, so we often are found dwelling on the fear and the negative things that can so easily take over our mind, but there is always a beacon of light. No matter how dark the room may be, if the smallest of candles is lit and it is hiding in a corner, it will be seen and the dark will not take over, the light will shine through. Christ is the light, He is walking every foot step with us every single day! He doesn't leave us, which means light is ALWAYS there!

Darkness exists, but so does light. It's up to you to choose where to dwell.

Heavenly Father doesn't want you to be fearful. Every bit of fear, negativity, pain, and confusion is not coming from God. God is good, all good things come from Him and He wants you to be happy! He created you to have joy! Christ is the soul source of all hope. Fear is the opposite of hope. We can't very well follow the teachings of the gospel or find hope and happiness ahead if we aren't living with hope.

HOPE IS WHERE HAPPINESS IS FOUND!

The Prophet Moroni taught us about hope and faith:

"I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." [Ether 12:6]

Yes, there will be moments where all you can see are your fears and the darkness, but witnesses and blessings come from choosing to get fear out of your life! 
You're strong! 
You've got this!
Wishing you hope and happiness ahead!