Does God Have Better Things to Do?

 I have had many difficult times in my life where I have felt alone and abandoned. I felt that my prayers were not being answered and that God had better things to do than to help me. I felt that I had been forgotten. The more that I thought this way, the harder it was to pray and stay on the right path. I fell out of the habit of reading scriptures and would tell myself that it was alright to miss a nightly prayer or two. Even when I did pray, they seemed as if they were more and more meaningless each time.

       I soon learned that I was incorrect in thinking that way. I'm sure we have all had periods in our lives where we falsely believe that God has stopped listening to us or that Jesus is too busy to help us in our times of need. Satan wants us to feel alone, and God sometimes allows us to struggle. But we forget that God can see what we cannot. He knows our potential and he gives us learning opportunities in order to better ourselves.

      We were sent here on earth to be given trials. As much as we would like it to be easy, life was meant to test us. Sometimes we need to feel weak and vulnerable in order to learn eternal lessons. In the video, Michael Mclean says that he prayed and said, "I don't know if you're hearing this, but I'm going to quit whining and moaning. I'm going to trust you. I'm going to trust that, at some point, you'll communicate with me, and I won't feel so lost." It was in that moment of humility that he was able to receive the answer that he needed.

      He was then given inspiration over the next 10 days to write 10 to 12 songs out of the blue. He realized just after the boom in songwriting that it was God's way of communicating to him in his time of need. Michael Mclean said that he had received inspiration in different ways in the past and was able to look back and appreciate all of the ways that God let him know that He was aware of Michael's situation.

       Even though I had begun to struggle with my prayers, I had not lost all hope and faith. One night I made a point to kneel down and speak to God with much more purpose than I think I've ever prayed before this point. I told Him how I felt alone and how I needed some comfort. As soon as I had said that, I felt a warm pressure on my back. It felt like someone was hugging me from behind as I knelt there praying even though I was the only one in my room. So much comfort and love spread through my body with the warmth of the embrace that I began to cry. 

           I continued to say my prayer and the feeling stayed with me. I slowed down and even began repeating things I had already said that I was thankful for in order to keep the feeling around longer. Eventually I felt that I needed to end the prayer and go to sleep in order to have enough energy the next day. Reluctantly, I closed my prayer and the feeling on my back faded slowly. I stayed at my bedside contemplating what I had just experienced for what felt like at least half an hour longer. I made sure to write it down in my journal and I went to bed.

           I had prayed countless times before that point for comfort and an answer to my prayers, but it wasn't until I was humble enough to truly submit myself that I was given the answer that I needed. My faith and testimony grew so much from the experience that I was able to start correcting myself. My scripture reading became more consistent, my prayers more meaningful, and my attitude became happier as well. I have not felt the same thing happen a second time, but I've been able to draw strength from it knowing that it must have been of God.

         I want to leave you with my testimony of the power of humble prayers and the lessons that can be learned during trials. God has not forgotten any of us. He knows us each by name and wants us to experience true happiness. I also have a testimony of the grace of Jesus Christ and of the power of the priesthood. Our Heavenly Father and Savior love us and will answer our prayers according to Their timing. I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.