Into The Deep

I'm struggling with something. It's nothing major, a decision I'm facing, but as I've thought about it over the last couple days I started to be happy for my struggle. My experience has been that through those struggles you grow. I know that's not news to anyone, but I appreciate the opportunity I have to struggle sometimes. I'm happy everything isn't always easy. It adds depth to my character, strengthens my beliefs, builds my knowledge, and forces me to look deep inside at what I'm really all about.

One of my favorite scriptures is the following: (I even memorized it I like it so much)

Doctrine and Covenants 127:2 And as for the perils which I am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the envy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ordained from before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it. Judge ye for yourselves. God knoweth all these things, whether it be good or bad. But nevertheless, deep water is what I am wont to swim in. It all has become a second nature to me; and I feel, like Paul, to glory in tribulation; for to this day has the God of my fathers delivered me out of them all, and will deliver me from henceforth; for behold, and lo, I shall triumph over all my enemies, for the Lord God hath spoken it.

I don't profess to have ever experienced any struggle as challenging as the one's our incredible prophet Joseph Smith did, but my favorite part of this scripture is when he says "...deep water is what I am wont to swim in." He clearly understood that struggles are Gods way of helping us become the person we are meant to be. That challenges are the tutorials of life. And that when we are given a struggle it's literally a compliment from a loving Father in Heaven who feels we are ready to go from where we are to where He knows we can be.
I'll never forget a talk I heard by Chieko Okasaki. She talked about how we should spend time on the beach. It's fun there! We can play volleyball, look for shells, build sandcastles, relax in the sun, but if we spend all of our time there we will never learn and grow. It isn't until we go into the deep water that we discover who we really are and who the Lord really wants us to be.

The word "deep" is used again in Section 122:7 to describe similar circumstances, followed later with the words "all these things shall give thee experience and be for they good".

I appreciate the opportunity before me to dig deep, and look deep into my soul in search for answers. Although it's a struggle, in the end, it always turns out to be nothing but good for me.