Doldrums

 Hey Jacob,

As always, you are on my mind. I’ve been thinking of how I can help you during your doldrums. Back in the sailing ship days, sometimes as these ships were crossing on a long voyage they’d hit a spot where there was no wind, it might last for days or weeks or even longer. Those were the hardest times for the sailors because of the isolation and lack of progress. Good captains found ways to keep their crews engaged, those that didn’t often faced mutiny. Those periods of windless, and no progress were called the doldrums.

I believe you are productive and moving forward, but you may feel like it’s not at the rate you’d expect. I know you’ve been setting goals, working harder, and striving to be better. Like you are rowing hard but not moving fast. As I’ve been praying for you I’ve come up blank as to how to help. I mistakenly thought that you might be on your own to figure this out.

But this morning I read elder Uchdorf’s talk (link below), and I thought of you. As you struggle to recognize your blessings and answers to prayer, take inventory of your blessings. This may be the time of life where you feel like you have the least, you are the poorest, you are the most lonely, and even the most persecuted you will ever be…and you are probably right about that. But instead of focusing on that awfulness, try to focus on your blessings. Dig deep and look hard.

My favorite passage from the talk is this:

It must have been this kind of testimony that transformed the Savior’s Apostles from fearful, doubting men into fearless, joyful emissaries of the Master. In the hours following His Crucifixion, they were consumed with despair and grief, unable to understand what had just happened. But one event changed all of that. Their Lord appeared to them and declared, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.”

You can get there Jacob, you will get there. I know it’s true and you will too.

I love you kid. I feel for you, I pray for you.

Pops

Grateful in Any Circumstances

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2014/04/grateful-in-any-circumstances?lang=eng