Give Your Problems to the Lord --by Amy Jarvis

I had heard the phrase “give your problems to the Lord” at home and from church teachers and probably even friends growing up. I had read about King Lamoni's father in the Book of Mormon (Alma 22:18) saying he would “give away all his sins to know” God, but that sounded too easy in my ignorant mind. Of COURSE you would “give up” your SINS (things that make you 'feel bad' is how I interpreted sin), what's difficult to “give up” is stuff you LIKE! Little did I know that sins are most often things you “like” and it IS difficult to “give them away” to the Lord! Going back to my original thought, I did not realize until embarrassingly late in life just how easy it is to “give away” problems and sins to the Lord (and how willing He is to accept them)!



It all came about from supreme frustration. I had been praying for the Lord to “soften the heart” of someone else. I knew it was wrong to pray for Heavenly Father to change someone, but it seems like praying for a little heart-softening is all right! I had received counsel from a few people I know (and Dr. Phil) that the only person I could change was me, but I was fine, it was this OTHER person who needed to “get with the program”! So, there was a day when finally, I had “had it”! This person was NOT doing what I thought should be done, and I was NOT going to stand for it any longer! There was a blow-up altercation between us, and I removed myself from the situation, more furious than I had ever been in my life! I could not talk to the person I was so incensed with (at least not to be able to get MY point across, which was the only argument worth considering, of course!) and I couldn't talk to anyone else, either. Or so it seemed. It took this extreme situation for my stubbornness to yield enough so that I would finally hit my knees to pray! I decided I was going to let my Father in heaven “have it”! At this time, it wasn't “giving my sins” to him (that I recognized), it was making sure He knew what I really thought about Him not going along with my musings of what should happen! If He wasn't going to require this other person to acknowledge how “right” I was, I was going to demand that He listen and validate my feelings! And guess what? He DID! I wasn't vexed with God, I was irritated with someone else, so I started telling Heavenly Father all of the things that I wasn't able to tell the object of my annoyance. I poured out all of my ruminations and shouted (yes, literally) everything I had been wanting to wail for months, maybe even for years. And what did my Heavenly Father do? He whispered, “Tell me more”. So I did. I told Him why I was so exasperated and I told Him all the reasons I had to be upset and I told Him I didn't know what to do to let go of my hurt and rage towards this person. Then the thought clearly came to my mind: “Give it away. Your pain. Your anger. Give it to me.” All I could do after having this impression was plead, “Lord, wilt thou take it?” And He did! My anger melted away instantly. I felt immense peace. I knew beyond a doubt that I was the one that had needed to change, I was the one that needed a “softened heart” and, thanks to my Heavenly Father, I did change! Why did it take me so long to go to Him? I suppose it was because since I was already conscious of the fact that Heavenly Father knows me, I didn't need to say it! I assumed he was aware of everything I was going through and was just making me suffer! In reality, I was making myself suffer, because I wasn't asking Him for help! He was there ready and willing and hoping to help me, I was just being too bullheaded to ask for assistance! It was so simple, and so profound. I have never again felt enraged like that. I have, however, felt God’s love for me, and acceptance of me, many times since. I know that I am in charge of my own happiness (and my own feelings). I know that God will not “change” anybody but those who request that He change them. Maybe most importantly, I know that my Heavenly Father loves me, and he let me feel of his love when I needed it most. When I believed I truly had nobody I could talk to, He allowed me to comprehend that I was wrong! He is ALWAYS willing to listen to ANYTHING we have to say, no matter how “bad” we think it might be (believe me, I was not telling Him “complimentary” things about one of his other children). Best of all, I felt no “judgment”! All I felt was peace, love, and acceptance, another wonderful lesson to me that that same “love and acceptance” was something I should be imparting to all of God's children. And that is how I learned what it is to “give my problems (and sins) to the Lord”.