President Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President, recently penned a piece for the Ensignwhere she recalled childhood memories of getting caught in rain storms.
“Situations in life can be similar to those storms,” President Bingham writes. “Without much warning, difficulties can arise that abruptly alter our lives and challenge our feelings of security. What do we do when the storms of life create difficulty, even havoc, in our lives?”
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She goes on to offer five things we can do in these periods of life that may feel like a sudden rainstorm. Among them were the suggestions to “increase in charity” and “find joy even in challenging times.” President Bingham cited stories to illustrate the power of both principles.
Speaking of seeking to increase in charity, President Bingham told of Sister Amy Jaggi, who went into preterm labor while her husband was out of town but who was cared for and comforted by sisters in her Relief Society. “Not long after the Jaggis’ baby died, a woman Amy visit taught also lost a child. Amy could say to her, ‘I’m here. I can hold you. I’m broken with you,’” President Bingham shared.
Recalling a story from her own family history, President Bingham said that upon finding himself stranded with “a broken-down car full of children at the end of a long road out in the middle of nowhere,” her grandfather looked around and said with a cheerful grin, “Look at the fun we’re having!” It became a classic quote in their family in the years that followed.
Read President Bingham’s other suggestions here.