Completeness

I just got back from an incredible Stake women's conference. The theme was "Be still and know that I am God." So many of the workshops and presentations were geared towards this theme of dealing with trials in our lives- something I've had my fair share of this past month 1/2. What I heard were confirmations of lessons the Lord has been teaching me personally through experience.
But one idea that resonated with me was this idea . . . completeness. Let me explain. We are commanded to be perfect even as our Heavenly Father is perfect. Later after his ascension into Heaven the Savior commands us to be perfect even as He and His father are perfect. Something he didn't claim he had obtained until his own resurrection. So the sister proposing this idea explained that perfection is another way of saying Complete or whole. In order to be whole or complete we need trials or opposition to teach us and to mold us. Only after our tests or trials may we be made perfect or complete. So our trials truly are our blessings.
If this is the case than the Lord is really working on me this year. I must have some sharp edges that need filing because phew! he's pouring out his "blessings" upon us. All kidding aside, I have felt His peace through it all and I have felt and witnessed his tender mercies in our lives.
I like this idea of completeness. Only through the atonement of Jesus Christ may we be made perfect or whole and complete. How grateful I am that the Blessings of the atonement, repentence, faith, baptism, priesthood blessings, temple ordinances, and eternal life are equally available barring no disparity to all of God's children according to our desire and agency.
Another grain of wisdom came from the presentation about hope and joy found in the Book of Revelations. The sister who taught this was wise beyond her years and incredibly insightful on the scriptures. As she explained the "code" of the Book of Revelations, she made the message given therein applicable to our day and translation was similar to something we might hear from our prophets today. The one point that stuck out to me was when she explained how the frame around the terrible events of destruction were under the control of the Lamb. He is the only one with the power to open the seal. He is the one who commanded the four horseman to "come" and strike the world with destruction. It took a second to sink in. She had to say it a few times before I could understand that this was a blessing.
But then I got it. Even in these scary times, the Lord is in control of it all. And the thought came - if He is in charge and in control than can he not bless us even when it looks impossible? Can he not make a job happen for Jhonny even in a crashing economy where more are losing their jobs than finding one? He knows where Jhonny would best be served. He CAN find a job for him and he CAN make it happen because HE is in control.
I don't think I've ever had to rely more strongly on my faith and less on what I can see. Hopefully after all is said and done my family and I will be a little more complete.