"The Trials that Come With Age"

I consider my Dad to be a very strong person. He has a belief in God and an optimism that all things will work together for our good. As I visited him tonight he told me of how he's been working every day - ever since the stroke. In addition to physical therapy, when he lies in bed, he is often exerting great mental effort to try to move his left leg or arm. Sometimes even in conversation he'll lose focus on you and look to the railing on the right side of his bed. I learned tonight that when he's doing that he's focusing on that railing and telling his mind to grab it with the left hand.

He said that this whole experience has been very exhausting mentally because of that. He added a few seconds later that it was also spiritually exhausting. Upon further questioning, he revealed that he sometimes feels rejected of God because of this stroke. I need to ask him why. This has been a discouraging time for him. However, he keeps working to improve and love others and be positive.

I said that I have no idea how he must be feeling. "That's good," he responded. But I expect that I may have to deal with similar challenges at some point so I'm interested in learning as much as I can to prepare. I recently read something which pertains to this.

"In the priesthood we share the sacred duty to labor for the souls of men. We must do more than learn that this is our duty. It must go down into our hearts so deeply that neither the many demands on our efforts in the bloom of life nor the trials that come with age can turn us from that purpose." (Henry B. Eyring, April 2011 General Conference)

I'm in the many demands stage of life. Dad is in the trials that come with age stage. It's important to learn from how Dad is feeling but I'm realizing now after including this quote that I learn more from how he continues to labor for the benefit of others. His greetings, his inquiries about others welfare, his genuine interest, his love.