Take no thought for the morrow...

Once upon a time there was a little 13 year old girl. One day this naive girl who thought that everything in her life was perfect, didn't think anything bad could happen.  She had everything that she wanted including amazing friends and family.  She was just beginning to excel at dance and was loving school, mostly because of the cute boys who she attended with.  (Okay, the secret is out, this is still one of her only motivations to continue schooling.)  Then one day her parents informed her that they would be moving! Away from the only home she had ever known, the perfect little small town she thought she would never leave.  WHAT?!? Shocked, but optimistic she made the rough transition into her new life, but slowly the real world began to be apparent to her.

Money! Before: Money was always there, there is nothing to worry about. After: To live in this world you need money, and when your dad leaves his previous job to start a business from scratch you hope and pray that money will continue to go into the bank account.  

Friends! Before: Friends are the best ever! They are always there for you. After: Wait, you have to make/choose friends? Because of the small town environment, the few people that were there, were your friends, NO MATTER WHAT.  They were all you had.  Now she had to choose/make friends, and not just any old friends, but friends with her same standards and values.  Challenging.

Family!  Before: Yeah, family was nice when friends weren't available.  After: Family is everything.  Where would we be without our families.

Pretty soon school was going to be starting, and her parents were confiding in her how our financial situation was not very good.  (Okay...if at this point you don't realize this is my story, you're crazy.) I began to pray. And pray. And PRAY.  Please, Heavenly Father, please continue to bless my family.  We need your help.  I am alone. I am starting school soon, and I am terrified.  I have seven siblings who need to eat and sleep and have clothes.  Please, please bless my family with the things they need.  Sometimes it would be so stressful, I wouldn't be able to sleep.  So I began flipping through my scriptures and ended up reading this scripture.  Matthew 6:31-34 "Therefore take no thought saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore not thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself."  BOOM.  That hit me like a ton of bricks.  To this day that is one of the fastest and strongest impressions I have received.  I knew know that my Heavenly Father truly loves me!  

I felt like Heavenly Father had given me the biggest hug and was saying, "Ashlan, you do not need to worry.  I am here.  I love you.  I love your family.  I asked you to move up here, and so you have to trust that I will provide a way for everything to be accomplished.  If you will just turn to me, trust ME I can make weak things become strong.  I will help you through this trial.  It is not going to be easy, but you know what will make it easier? If you will just use the Atonement, turn to the Savior, turn to your family.  I had to watch my Only Begotten Son suffer in the Garden and later die on a cross, because I. Love. You.  I wanted you to be happy and be with your family forever.  Please, do not worry, I will be here for you ALWAYS."

I testify that God does take care of all of the tomorrows, so why should we worry?  Worrying about tomorrow just takes the happiness of out of today.  The only thing we should be focusing on is seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  I testify that God loves each of us, and wishes us happiness.  For this reason, He provided us with families.  What a BLESSING families are! For that same reason, He made possible the Atonement. What a MIRACLE that our Savior was willing to die for our sins, weakness, and shortcomings so that we could someday be exalted. So don't worry about tomorrow, our Heavenly Father knows the things that we need, and if we will seek Him, all those things will be added unto us.