Why me?

Our individual trials can help us to develop a faith in an all-knowing Heavenly Father.

There are many challenges we all have faced or will face in this mortal life. These challenges may be physical, emotional, financial, or spiritual. When we face such challenges, we often ask ourselves “Why me?” I’d like to share an experience I had recently where I was having this dilemma.

My wife and I have recently graduated from college this past semester. Over the last few months, I have been applying to jobs all across the country. Over the course of my last semester, I was scheduled for a good amount of phone interviews, some video interviews, and a few on-site interviews. As time went on, the frustration and stress began to grow and take a toll on myself as I faced the possibility of graduating college unemployed. Not only was this slightly embarrassing when I heard about my peers accepting job offers, but with a 4-month-old baby, I began to worry about our future. One job, in particular, was with a company I had previously worked for. I thought I was the perfect fit: my qualifications matched up, I had experience with the company, and I thought the interview went great. When I found out I wasn’t chosen for the position, I was devastated.

“Why me?” I continually asked myself. I had done all that was asked of me and checked every box. I was active in the church, getting good grades, and providing for my family as best I could with what little income we had. After seeking the Lord for guidance, my wife and I felt it was best to move in with my parents. While I am grateful to have parents that are willing to support their kids in difficult times, this was incredibly humbling to my ego. My dad sent me a link to a job near them that I had never heard of before. I applied there as I had applied to hundreds of other job postings, and heard back almost immediately. To my surprise, I was quickly pushed through the interview process and offered a job about a week after moving back home. Remember that job I described earlier I thought was the perfect fit for me? Not only was I offered the new job quickly, but the pay and benefits were significantly better and it allowed us to be closer to family than every other job for which I had interviewed.

The list of challenges more difficult than what I went through is infinite, but I know we have a Heavenly Father who knows each of us perfectly and has a plan for us. He knows our what, when, how, and why. Trusting Him and exercising faith will only strengthen us for future tests.

Supplemental Reading:

D&C 90:24
Answers to Prayer” -Elder Brook P. Hales, April 2019
Meeting Life’s Challenges” -President Thomas S. Monson, October 1993
The Lord Has a Plan for Us!” -Elder Carlos A. Godoy, October 2014

You can follow The Common Sense Guy on Twitter at @The_C_S_Guy.

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