Coping with Humor

I'm coping today.  My extended family's world has been turned upside with news that is not my story to share.  We are being brave, especially those who are closest to the situation.  I've been stewing the past few days with the reality that life is brimming with trials that seem unfair and are blatantly unwanted.  But, how we deal with trials is the true test.  What do we learn, how do we grow, how do we carry on in spite of or because of these trials?

At the General YW's broadcast a few weeks ago our prophet President Monson told the young women to "Look to the lighthouse of the Lord."  He talked about three signals that will help us on this earthy journey.  I wrote notes on my phone during his talk and these are what I can glean from my notes this afternoon.  Reading these notes are helping me today.  

The three signals are Believe, Obey and Endure.  

 If you believe- you act.  We are responsible to keep our own testimony.  After we believe (synonymous for accept) we must obey.  Our decisions do determine our destiny.  Every Cinderella has her midnight:  there is a reckoning, and the ledger must be balanced.  Lastly we must endure- we must seek heavenly guidance one day at a time.

I'm good with the believe and obey part.  I'm pretty good and doing what is expected of me.  However, the enduring part can be daunting.  It can seem heavy and cumbersome.  It can feel lonely, heart wrenching, overwhelming, looming, trying and just flat out HARD!  I've had many WHY questions in the last few days.  WHY WHY WHY?  But I'm humbled by the words of the one very closest to this trial- the one personally experiencing this trial- the one who will have to suffer far more than the rest of us- the one who will endure the pain while the rest of us must only watch and feel helpless...unable to change the situation no matter how much we wish, plead and pray we could.   "There must be something I need to learn from this."  

So...I'm going to follow this persons example and be humble.  I'm going to endure to the best of my ability.  I'm going to seek heavenly guidance on a daily basis and pray that my pleadings of comfort, healing and love will help someone I love most dear. 

In the mean time, (total shift of subject coming right now...sarcasm and inappropriateness ahead- be warned.) I'm going to cope with humor.

So...without further ado...here are some things that may have been heard in our household this week.

I wonder if my children are going to make it too adulthood without being totally warped.

Colby at breakfast:  Nobody better sit by me...I'm stinky.

Carter while rubbing his ear (the boy has the god-given talent of making his ear squeak like a mouse on  speed.  Really, its loud and squeaky):  Do you think a video of my ear squeaking could win on AFV?

Carter:  Mom, when are we having pork sandwiches for dinner?  We've got the pork...we've got the buns...we've got the sauce...and we have me to eat it!

Colby:  I'm SO glad I'm growing hairs.  Because, when I'm a dad my stomach will be warm when I'm almost naked.  Seriously, I will have a hairy chest!