Okay so now we hopefully have each had a chance to finish the book or at lead get most of the way through it. Why dont we all write a question that we came up with and post it in a new post. Then we can respond to each other by posting comments?
My question is-How do you try to have strength and courage when all seems to be lost? I don't know how I would have kept going? Will power? The thought of home? or merely to prove other wrong? Lets be honest I am not a person who would give up that easily but in a situation like this I might reconsider? Any thoughts on what you would do?
Lindsey what a great question. I thought the same thing. As I was reading. I keep thinking to myself could I do that. I wonder if you were put in that situation if you would have the will power. It makes me think of my own will power and how much I can endure. I would want to think I could.
ReplyDeleteMy question is: How do you watch people suffer and keep going on? This might tie back to the same question about strength but I think it would be so difficult to watch people hurt day in and day out.
interesting thought. Here is what I think about suffering...it might got in two ways. #1 if I thought that that person really might make it then the suffering would not go in vain. However, if I knew that person was still suffering and would eventually die from whatever it is-that would be harder because I would think why does God not just let them NOT suffer. So this is what I think, for whatever reason their suffering is needed to teach others a lesson. So for example through this book by watching kids friends suffer he was able to learn more about himself and his life's mission than he would have if he had not gone through this experience. Make sense?
ReplyDeleteLindsey thanks for starting the thread.
ReplyDeleteFirst of when I read the questions and was thinking about the book the first thing that came into my head was. The brother hood that is in the USA Military family. From day one in the military you are told that the guy next to you is your brother and you will not leave his side. If you remember in the book when they are going through hell week and how they were punished for leaving their swimming budding. One reason is for safety but they are telling you that you will never leave one of them behind and I mean no one is left behind. Even today I feel this way at work that I cannot leave anything undone and will leave my whole soul at work and put everything on the line even if it means falling sleep behind the wheel. I will finish my work and work off the clock until my work gets done. I have gotten in trouble for doing this by working off the clock and have gotten talked to many times about it.
Well back to the questions about having the strength to move on. Let me tell you a story about Mom and her last hours. I have never really told anybody this. I maybe have hinted it to Becca but never the full story. As you know the last week mom went into a deep sleep that she never work up from. I cherish these moments very dearly because it was in these last moments I received some internal conversations with my mother. She told me to never give up and that I must press forward. That no matter what came up I needed to stay alive and I needed to be there for my kids and had things I still needed to learn. I really did not understand what these voices were or what she was telling me at the time. Then it came I was facing a suicide attempt with a knife to my neck. Becca and the kids would be home in less than a half hour and I had voices in my head yelled at me to do it and then Mom told me to stop. It was her that told me to stop and to press on. It is very interesting how when you are looking death straight in the eye and are about to cross over the strength that comes to you. It is stronger than will power and anything you can imagine having. There is a strength that is so strong that it will get you through anything. This power has not come once or twice but several times to me. When I was reading/listening to this book this power that he was pushing in though reminded me of my suicide attempts and how close I came to death. So you ask how a person can push on well just look at Mom and how she survived through who know how many chemo treatments and also dealing with Bipolar and maybe the suicidal thoughts. I know that this awesome Navy Seal probably thought he could end it right now but he did not because he know what was down the road for him and what was waiting for him. It is like the quote I gave you Lindsey from Elder Holland. There is a power waiting for us and we can use at any time. The thing is he does not let us use on a daily basis because we would abuse it but there is a power to help us drive through these moments of despair and trouble. There is a power waiting for us and I am pretty sure we have tapped into it we just do not know we have. So how do we watch others suffer, and watch them die. I remember that week that mom was sleep. I did not know what was coming down the road for me and my illness. Mom did and she knew the best way for me to learn was for her to go. She knew we had to walk on our two feet and we needed to yell to heaven just give me one mountain lord. Just try me a little bit more because I need it. The suffering is there for us to learn to what it was like for Jesus Christ. We do not have to go through what he did but when we watch others suffer or we personally go through our own Gethsemanes we start to appreciate what he did. As I was reading this book it brought me back to another book was I reading by James Farrell called the Peace Giver and it was not until I was done with both that I understood what the Savior did or what it means to suffer and to be alone. I personally would hate to be last guy in a faraway land bleeding to death but I can honestly say he is better for it and everyone he touches is better as well because we understand what it is like and it this understanding that we can better survive the struggles that we are going to face. I have already thought of this book with some struggles I had this past week and it gave me strength to move on just like Mom told me the week before she passed away and crossed over to the other side of the veil.
ReplyDeleteWell said. I asked that question with Mom in mind because like you said that last week was a unique experience for all of us. Glad that you shared. What a great read to learn from and to be able to make personal connections with our family and our life. We really can learn so much and continue to learn and grow.
ReplyDeleteJason thanks so much for sharing. I needed to hear that today. You are such an amazing, strong person who I admire so much. I know that last week with mom was such unique experience and I am so glad that we got to have it. Things that happen during that last week that help me to get through the tough times. I know reading this book made me think of mom in so many ways. I am so glad to have the knowledge of what Jesus christ did for us to help us become stronger and better people. Thanks guys you are so amazing.
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