I know a woman who struggled, for a long time, to understand the promise of hope that the Savior brings. When she was younger, she turned away from the Savior for a time. She began down a dark and lonely path that quickly spiraled out of control.

She did not quite understand, like so many of us, that she could turn to the Redeemer of the world and she would be healed. It was not conditioned upon whether her sins were too great or too many, it was not a question of if she was worthy or not of the grace Christ has to offer. Her precious gift was always available to her if she chose to reach out to grab it.

But lost and alone, she did not understand, and the gift sat high upon His shelf, weeping as she struggled.

For several years she faced different sins and addictions. She tried to change on his own, but that only left her feeling more broken. She continued searching for ways to transform her life and to find a greater purpose. After overcoming many challenges she chose to go out and serve others on behalf of the Lord. She served for years, witnessing miracles, seeing broken families unify, people overcoming addictions, and joy coming into the lives of those choosing to follow God.

And little by little, she began to change too. She not only came to know of the Savior but also know Him. She was free from the chains that once held her bound.

She sometimes looks back at that time in her life and wonders why she did not access the power of the mercy of the Lord sooner. Although there are many factors, the greatest difference came when she finally realized that the Savior’s promise was not that He COULD heal her, but that He WOULD.

Reproduced from the artists digital A.I. file with digital editing. Created 2023.