I can do hard things

While we were traveling on the Pioneer Trek this summer, a thought continually came to my mind.  The thought was, "I can do hard things."  Our last day of the trek was the hardest.  We traveled 15 hot, dusty, dirty miles with no shade and a slight breeze in pioneer clothes pushing/pulling a handcart.  At times it wasn't extremely difficult, but nonetheless, the journey was long.  The last 2 miles seemed like half of the trip.  Several youth "ran out of gas" and had to be helped by others.  As I was dipping my handkerchief in water and cooling all the youth around me, I kept telling myself, "I can do hard things."  I repeated it many times while we walked and many more while we set up camp, transported water and got settled for another day.  The work during those 4 days was exhausting, but I kept telling myself, "I can do hard things."

When we left Hyrum at the MTC on Wednesday, one of the first thoughts that came to my mind (after the tears subsided) was, "I can do hard things."  I didn't know in July during the Trek when that statement would be a strength to me.  I figured it would be some far off life event, many years from now.  But the Lord, with His tender mercies, has given me a way to have confidence in any difficult situation I find myself - even sending my oldest son on a 2 year mission to teach the people of California about Jesus Christ.

I can do hard things!