From the book “On Earth as it is in Heaven” by Jeffrey R. and Patricia T. Holland, sister Holland (deceased) wrote:
Sometimes when we are the loneliest or when we feel the greatest hurt it is precisely the time when we feel God is not there, the very time when we feel utterly abandoned by him. But our willingness to take that leap of faith toward his embrace—when we are least certain of his presence — could be the most important act of our life.
The things that matter most to me, the things I would most want to exemplify are the quieter, less visible aspects of life. The kinds of virtues I wish to stand for, if I am able, are personal, not professional. I would like to be known as a wife, a mother and a friend, a personal caring friend. I would hope these modest goals would qualify one as an exemplary woman. I was given these values by my beloved parents, parents who—along with my mother-in-law, my husband, and my children, have given me days and nights of private support far from the spotlight of public appearance and applause. They have always been beautiful examples of love and quiet service.
In order to speak about service, I must begin where all things begin: with God. Many of us want to serve but we do not — or feel we cannot—either because we are consumed with our own problems or simply because we lack the confidence to reach out. All of us want to be more charitable, more generous, more loving. We have been told over and over again that a true sense of self-worth comes from service—that to find your life you must lose it. Yet too often something blocks our ability and our efforts.
It is to those who desire to serve, who feel that lack the courage, strength, or ability that I wish to speak. To do so, I need to speak about God. While praying one evening about how to address this perplexing problem, I felt that I was led directly to the words of Paul. In a little known and seldom quoted line from 2 Corinthians, I read: “Blessed be God, even the Father or our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of comfort —who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble, by comfort which we are comforted from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3.)
I cannot express the power and peace I felt when I read that scripture. What a world of meaning and instruction condensed into those simple lines! Concentrate with me for a moment on the simple promise—that God is the God of all comfort — and we will consider the second half of the verse later. Inasmuch as all of us need comfort at so many different moments every day of our lives it is wonderfully reassuring that our God, our Father, is the God of all comfort.” That phrase “of all comfort” means to me not only that there is no greater source available for solace and strength, but that technically speaking there is no other source.
After several years on the Brigham Young University campus with so many opportunities to speak with hundreds of students, I have come to realize that virtually one of us carries around our burdens and fears that wear us down and greatly oppress us. I think that it is obvious that the emotional burdens, the spiritual struggles, I have seen people carry are far more burdensome and frightening than the prospects of any physical limitations we may face in life. According to a recent study of mental health in America, plain old-fashioned worry is one of the few emotional problems that is on the increase, for reasons that are not altogether clear to physicians and behavioral scientists. Dr. Claire Weeks, in trying to discover a pattern for such for such emotional and spiritual worry, said, “The basic problem is fear. Guilt opens the door to fear. Anxiety, worry, dread, conflict, even sorrow are only variants of fear in different guises.” (Hope and help for Your Nerves [New York: Hawthorn Books, 1969, ], p.35-36 . . “Patricia T. Holland, (deceased). . . . Continued. . .
