Eight years ago today, Justine wrote this post, and because it seems that a lately, great number of the people in my world are going through exceptionally difficult times, I thought it was a timely reminder for all of us.

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“I bless you to learn the lessons you need to learn from this affliction.”

Those words were uttered in the blessing I received yesterday. I received those words from the mouth of my husband, acting in authority from the Lord.

My initial response was something along the lines of, “Whatever (and say it just like all those teenagers who can say it so flippantly “ Wut-evah”¦). I just need to get this blasted kidney stone out of my body.”

I thanked our good friend for coming over to help administer the blessing, and I said to him, kind of jokingly, “what on earth do you think I’m supposed to learn from this torture?” chuckle, chuckle.

He did chuckle, but dang it, it was the kind of laugh that holds meaning. His laugh kind of sounded like, “Oh, little girl. You’ll learn soon enough about the lessons from this pain.” Out loud he only said, “Well, if there’s nothing to learn from pain, it sure would make you just want to sit around and cuss a lot.”

So all day long, as I sit curled up in the fetal position, crying and moaning, feeling high on strange medications, I prayed.

“OK, tell me what it is. I want to learn it. I want this to be over. Where’s the lesson? Is it patience? Is it empathy? Is it long-suffering? WHAT!? I can be patient. I know I can! I can really be empathetic! I can! I can!”

But I still have the stone. Now it’s stuck somewhere in some too small tube somewhere. I guess I haven’t learned anything yet. I probably need surgery to have it removed.

So I start to search. Where’s my lesson? I go to the back of the Scriptures. I look up endure, tribulation, pain, suffer, anything remotely applicable. Maybe my answer is somewhere in here. My top runners so far?

D&C 122:5-7, which is lovely all together, but my favorite part is the very end. ”¦know, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.”

I guess I need some experience. I guess I need to know that I too am human.

But what about D&C 24: 8? “Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many, but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.” Maybe I need to know the Lord is with me during these times.

I’ve even wondered if maybe I should learn to accept more help. Stubborn and independent as I am, maybe I’m too proud, too defiantly “on-my-own-ish”. Many in my family don’t even know I’m the least bit sick. Maybe I won’t ditch this thing until I call them all. But, then, maybe things don’t work quite that way. I just don’t see the Lord working on a quid pro quo kind of basis.

So, I’m still here. Learning away. Stubborn as ever, impatient as ever, still wishing I could just cuss a lot. When my husband spoke to me with his hands on my head, he said, “This will resolve itself quickly.” Quickly? Wut-evah.

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(postscript to this story — I told my mother about the whole thing. I passed the stone within 6 hours of that phone call. hmmm…)