"If Only I Had A Brain" and the Lumps and Bumps of Life

I am sure that everyone in this world has days where they can fully relate to the scarecrow on the famous movie, The Wizard of Oz. Days where we say to ourselves "what in the world was I thinking" or "If only I had a Brain."

Lately I have found that I am thinking this a bit more often than I use to. Take this week for example, I seemed to have gotten it in my head that things are more exciting when you do them all last minute. NOT SO!!!!! Having 30 hours of observation to do for you major...a test in statistics...a test in first aid (two classes who like to load the work on you)...homework for all my other classes...a lesson to plan for sunday...ETC should not be left to the last minute, especially when they need to be done in the same week. 

Upon looking back on the week I just thought "Aliseea, what were you thinking." 

Needless to say I got most everything done...one test I think went ok...the other not so much...homework complete...and about 10 hours out of the 30 complete (luckily that isn't due for a while or I might have to kick something)

What really brought me to write this post was that test that didn't go the way I was hoping...Statistics...For all I care it can go jump off a cliff and die! Anyways after I got out of the test and saw my lovely score, I was kind of put out...in my head I thought to myself "I studied, I prayed for help and I went in there with my head held high, so what happened," but as I thought back over the week I came to the realization that I had not put all the effort into studying like I could have. Thinking about that I then realized that my prayer was a quick and a pitiful one that basically went like this "Heavenly Father please bring all the answers to my head." Not those exact words but you get the gist.

Heavenly Father knows that we aren't going to be perfect during our mortal life and he doesn't expect us to always be the smartest or the prettiest or the bravest (but those things are always nice). What he does expect of us is that we do the very best we can do; whether it is planning ahead a bit more, studying a bit harder, praying a bit longer with more meaning. If we put the effort in, he will put his effort in and together we will be able to accomplish more then we ever thought we could, for with God nothing is impossible.

Of course there will be hard times, mistakes, sorrow, all those lumps and bumps along the way but as a song I like (Little Miss by Sugarland) says "It's alright, sometimes you got to lose until you win. It's alright, it's alright it's alright, it will be alright again, I'm ok." 

Though trials seem to take up every bit of life while they are happening, when we step back and look at the whole eternal perspective we can see that they are just small times in our life that are learning experiences which in turn make us stronger. If we let them teach us and draw us closer to Heavenly Father, the lumps and bumps can be some of the most memorable moments of our lives. Moments that help us to appreciate loved ones, homes, nature, health, laughter and all the little things in life that we take for granted.

I can honestly say I am grateful for the Lumps and Bumps of life. They may not be my favorite times of life but they are the times when I grow closer to Heavenly Father and the Savior and also find out a little bit more about myself and how strong I really am.

So my goals for the next little while are first to find my brain, turn it on and use it and second to take on the lumps and bumps and enjoy them, knowing it will be alright again and that I will be ok.