Life is full of figurative gifts and packages. Some are joyfully anticipated such as eternal marriage, or having children. Some are pleasant surprises like new friendships or unexpected job opportunities. Some come in horrible packages like disease, accidents, or emotional or mental illness. And some seem to be empty packages such as death, loss or failure. And yet, life requires that we receive all kinds of these “experience” gifts. It is up to us to open each one of them and find the individual lesson awaiting us.
Sometimes we are handed a hard gift. We hesitate to unwrap it – deluding ourselves that if we don’t unwrap it, it will go away. But life simply doesn’t have that kind of return or exchange policy. We can’t go back, or around – only through. And we are promised that we can find Christ in each and every package.
Sometimes Christ seems to get lost or overlooked in happy gifts such as blessing. In a painfully empty box of trial, disease or loss, He may not be readily seen, but if we keep looking, we will find that He is the good – sometimes the only good – thing to be found. Sometimes it take repeated, painful attempts at unwrapping as you may think you’ve got it opened, only to find another layer of packaging inside. And just as some packaging these days is so strong (think any child’s toy on Christmas morning) with an excess of zip ties and impenetrable sealed plastic that it practically requires bolt-cutters, so it is with life’s gifts. Sometimes we don’t have the strength or desire to keep unwrapping the dang package. It may require other loving, supportive people to help out. More often than not, it requires finding a professional with the right tool – like emotional or bolt-cutters to help unlock a layer.
So let that curiosity to see just what awaits you inside keep you moving forward. And even if, after lots of effort and lots of hope, you find what appears to be an empty box, look again, and again, and again. Find the Savior. He is there in every package every time – even if we can’t easily see Him. He’s the one who has been urging us and nudging us and prompting others to help us open the package.
The fact that opening life’s gifts is a hard and painful process shouldn’t surprise us. The concept of a broken heart and contrite spirit isn’t just a hollow, scriptural phrase but a very excruciatingly real and essential process. The scriptures are full of examples that back me up on this:
“May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite!” 2 Nephi 4:32
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalms 34:18
“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me, a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” 3 Nephi 9:20
I believe that the strongest individuals are given the toughest packages. They also have the most potential and blessings awaiting them, however, those blessings are often delayed – oftentimes until the next life. In a way, life is one long series of surprise “Amazon” deliveries with a string of experience-packages showing up on our life’s doorstep. Never stop opening. Never walk away from one of these gifts regardless of how tempting it may be to do so, or how exhausted you may feel because these gifts are inescapable.
It may seem utterly fruitless to keep unwrapping layer after layer, but hold on to that box. Hold on to the people that are helping you hold that box. You are so loved, you have a crowd of people seen and unseen supporting you. Let others such as family, friends, therapists, doctors, and priesthood or church leaders use their metaphorical bolt-cutters to help you and empower you.
Above all, remember that Christ is urging you forward. He’s putting people and resources and opportunities in your path for one glorious reason: to help you become like Him and ultimately return to live with our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.
My sister recently reminded me that the oft-quoted scripture from the Book of Mormon that states, “Men are that they might have joy,” (2 Nephi 2:25) also carries the unwritten, opposite message: men are that they might have pain and sadness. The reason is that all things must have their opposite. The opposition allows us to recognize, value and seek out the good. The same chapter in the Book of Mormon says, “it must needs be that there is an opposition in all things.” (2 Nephi 2:11)
And so the boxes keep coming – the happy gifts as well as the painful ones. But all come with the purpose to point us towards our Savior Jesus Christ so that He can help us eventually find joy in this life and everlasting joy in the life to come. So keep those bolt-cutters and supportive people handy since no doubt another gift is always on the way.
