Our imperfect human bodies

I often have a lot of trouble sleeping at night and my missionary companion has trouble waking up in the morning. Nevertheless, the Lord has called us to be missionaries for His Church in this area and though we have had some slow weeks, we are blessed with teaching appointments and the ability to share the gospel. We are teaching a man who has muscular dystrophy and has grown up in a very rough life. Nevertheless, the Lord has helped him overcome his weakness and blessed him with good business skills and a desire to recover from his past mistakes.

I think of Elder Russel M. Nelson's remarks in the October 2013 General Conference about our weaknesses:

...It seems that in every family, if not in every person, some physical conditions exist that require special care. A pattern for coping with such a challenge has been given by the Lord. He said, “I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; … for if they humble themselves … and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” [Ether 12:27]. Stellar spirits are often housed in imperfect bodies.

All of us have different weaknesses. For example, I have a lot of trouble concentrating on the scriptures and missionary lessons during studies in the morning. I also have a tendency to let conflict build in my mind without discussing it with my companion, which makes it difficult to concentrate and be happy. But as I think about Christ and the love He had for all people, it makes me able to put myself aside and begin to love them in the way He would.

I think of the examples of people who have disabilities much more challenging than mine. A woman who lost both of her legs continues to work and even swim:





Also, a man who has muscular dystrophy has nevertheless grown up into a successful businessman and father: