Joy in the Midst of Hardship

Journal 2005 02 18
Joy in the Midst of Hardship

The men are completely out of meat today at Fort Mandan. I’m assuming the men are still eating grain they’ve traded for with the local Indians. Imagine going to the pantry and finding only canned corn. Especially when you are used to eating meat. The men of the expedition averaged nine pounds of meat per day over the course of their journey. Meat was their main source of nutrition. As it also was for the Plains Indians. The men were hungry. Yet, again, no record exists of them griping and complaining. They were only working on solving the problem.

Captain Clark was working on a record of geographical estimates of what lay west of them. He had gathered much verbal and anecdotal information regarding rivers, mountains, distances and land features that lay west from their Indian neighbors and many visitors. Clark’s purpose in this particular record was to have a report for President Jefferson should the party not return from the expedition. Lewis and Clark were sending a party of men back down the Missouri River in the spring with information to be reported to the President.

How many excuses do we have, and use, about why we can’t work or why we are not very productive? I could list several instantly for me.

Am I hungry? Am I cold? Is my computer acting up? Does my car have a problem? Am I out of cash? Am I unappreciated? Does the boss know what he is asking of me? Don’t you know if I left home I could be attacked by a Sioux raiding party? Where’s my favorite white dress shirt? I broke a shoelace. I don’t feel very good. Etc, etc, etc.

I think part of our admiration for the men who completed this journey is their dogged determination to complete the mission at all costs. In addition, they all returned safely except for Sgt. Floyd whose burst appendix would have killed him whether on the expedition or not. And they undertook this difficult task with great joy.

Great joy in the midst of great difficulty is what sets us apart as great human beings. We, of all people, children adopted into the family of God, should exhibit this trait in our daily lives. If a recording was made of our daily dialogue, what would we hear?

Do we face all issues with an overcomer’s mindset? Do we look for ways to quit or ways to persevere and conquer? Are we filled with the joy of Holy Ghost no matter the circumstances? If not, repent and change today.