Stress and Trials: Are They For Our Good?
“In nature, trees that grow
up in a windy environment become stronger. As winds whip around a young
sapling, forces inside the tree do two things. First, they stimulate the roots
to grow faster and spread farther. Second, the forces in the tree start
creating cell structures that actually make the trunk and branches thicker and
more flexible to the pressure of the wind. These stronger roots and branches
protect the tree from winds that are sure to return.
“You are infinitely more
precious to God than a tree. You are His son or His daughter. He made your
spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life. The
whirlwinds in your youth, like the wind against a young tree, can increase your
spiritual strength, preparing you for the years ahead.” -Spiritual Whirlwinds, Elder
Neil L. Andersen
This
life always seems to be throwing us trial after trial and it never seems to
end. But, it’s a blessing to understand that these trials give us the opportunity
to grow depending on our attitude and our perception of the trial.
Sometimes
we may think that we should just let these trials pass by because we are too
busy with other things going on or because the trial is so large that it’s
stressful. I don’t know about you, but I was taught that stress is bad. It
affects our blood pressure and our bodies. Trials are so stressful at times,
and stress is bad, isn’t it?
I watched a TED Talk on how
changing our view of stress can actually help us in things of stress. Instead
of viewing how our bodies response to stress as a negative thing, we need to
see it as a way that our bodies are helping to take action. Our bodies are
meant to go under stress and push through difficult situations. Kelly
McGonigal, the one that gave this TED talk, also talked about how when are
going through hard times that it’s important to serve others. She said, “How you think and how you act can transform your experience
of stress. When you choose to view your stress response as
helpful, you create the biology of courage. And when you choose to connect with
others under stress, you can create resilience.” I recommend you watch it!
Coping
to our circumstances is an important aspect of going through trials. The definition
of coping isn’t just trying to ignore the fact that there is a problem or even passively
acknowledging that there is a problem and then just trying to make it go away. Dictionary.com’s
definition of coping is “to face and deal with responsibilities, problems, or
difficulties, especially successfully or in a calm or adequate manner.”
As
a family, it’s actually very strengthening to experience and cope with stress
together. If we were to never experience stress, we would not be able to
accomplish anything that had some difficulty in it. Can you imagine having
children that would get overwhelmed and quit every time they had to do
something? That would be so hard for you as a parent, and hard for them because
they may be discouraged that they can’t do anything. We need to teach ourselves
and our children that learning to deal with stress will build character, resilience,
and help us courageously face other trials.
I’m
so grateful that we are built to withstand hardship. Everything that we go through
helps us become more like our Savior. He has been through all of the pain,
anguish, and sorrow that we have experienced and will experience. And because
He has, we can look to Him for strength as we go through our trials and learn
through His example to better be able to cope with the challenges that come our
way. As we change our attitude and perception of stress and trials in our lives
we will be able to increase in personal strength and be prepare for the trials
that come.
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