The trees were even thicker than the image above and the curves were much tighter. It was a gorgeous drive. The speed limit was 55 mph, but there was no way I could drive that fast and keep the vehicle under control with the ups and downs of the mountain. The close proximity of the trees to the road disguised the steep drop offs just to the side of the car.

As much as I wanted to enjoy the beauty of the road, I had to keep deliberate focus of the road ahead of me. There were reduce speed signs posted every now and then and some rail guards, but for the most part, my GPS was there to show me the curves ahead. You could even see where there had been a car that had bent up a rail guard in a very close call.

This morning, I was thinking about this windy road. In our journey in life, we will travel some windy roads. We will need to have a lot of use caution ahead signs and safety guards along the way to keep us from serious harm. The Spirit is like our GPS.

Have you ever been driving without your GPS and suddenly the car talks to you about a hazard up ahead? This has happened to me a few times recently. At first it seemed a little random, but then I chuckle to myself and think about how the Spirit works this way as well.

There are times when I am least expecting to hear the whisperings of the Spirit. It whispers to me anyways. I hope to always recognize it. I hope to have the courage and determination to always follow its counsel.

When I was baptized, I received the gift of the Holy Ghost to always be with me. What a special gift this is to me. I have had to learn how this gift works for me. We are each different. We understand how to hear and feel the Spirit differently. I urge you to ponder on this. Notice how it feels to you when you recognize its presence in your life. The more you look for it and focus on it, the easier it will become.

Even having the GPS to help me with my long drive through the mountain, I noticed after a while that I had been gripping the steering wheel so hard that my hands were aching. My focus was so strained that my eyes were becoming fatigued. I decided to pray to Heavenly Father for help to stay alert and focused as we drove to our destination and then home again.

It was soon after this prayer that I was able to relax my grip on the steering wheel and enjoy the beauty of the ride more fully. I needed to give my stress to God through prayer and only then was I able to relax. Have you ever done this?

I’ve done it a few times and every time it is the same. I am given peace. The trial is still there, I still have to drive through this windy stressful road. God grants me peace and only then am I able to see the blessings and focus on the good as I continue along the journey.

There were other circumstances, that were much bigger than driving on a windy road. They were much harder to give to God. It was still the same outcome. I prayed, I cried, I begged. Then I finally told God that I put it all in His hands and I did.

I didn’t feel peace right away. I was still too exhausted from the weight of it all. But it wasn’t long before I realized that it didn’t feel quite so heavy anymore. And then I realized what it looked like when we give the God the opportunity to share in the burden of the load we carry.

Jesus already suffered in Gethsemane. He already went through what we are going through now. He did that alone so that He could help us carry the burden. He alone knows what we are currently going through. When we acknowledge that, when we choose to let Him in, only then will our burden become lighter. It is our choice though. Just like everything else, it is important for us to be able to choose to accept the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Satan wants us to continue feeling as if no one understands. He wants us to choose to ignore that Jesus Christ already suffered it for us. He doesn’t want you to see the beauty, love, and sacrifice of it all. Don’t give him that power. Choose a different way. A more beautiful way. A more loving way. Satan never does anything out of love.

Everything Jesus Christ did was out of love. He offered this plan out of love. He asked not to drink of this cup, but then still did out of great love. Even when He was angry, it was out of love of the sacredness of the temple. For His father. He healed out of love. He forgave out of love. I want to be like Him some day.