One of the sisters in our ward had a baby recently. She lives in a lovely house, has a handsome husband, and she herself looks like a model. She put on very little weight during the pregnancy and now, although the baby is only weeks old, she is thin and gorgeous.
At church on Sunday, we all gathered around to admire the baby. Several women commented on how good the new mother looked, and one of the Primary teachers even went so far as to say, “I don’t like you.” Truly, it would seem that this new mommy has it all.
Others are not so lucky. They are confined to wheelchairs or struggle to keep financially afloat. Perhaps their car gets repossessed or one of their children goes astray. They are definitely being tested.
But the new mother is being tested too—she’s experiencing what I would call “invisible trials,” meaning, trials that aren’t immediately obvious to those around her. It appears from the outside that her life is perfect, and yet it’s not. Internally, she must deal with her own challenges, just as those whose trials are a little more “visible” and apparent to those around them.
It’s a fallacy to believe that some people have an easy life while we are forced to slog through the muck. Every one of us have been sent here to Earth to learn and grow and overcome the challenges we are given. Whether they are visible or invisible challenges, we all face them just the same. We can’t look at someone’s lovely home and wonderful children and just assume they never struggle. It’s contrary to God’s plan for us to go through life without encountering opposition—that’s why we’re here, to learn to overcome.
The next time you see someone who appears to have it all made, please remember that they may be struggling with something you know nothing about. As the hymn says, “In the quiet heart is hidden/Sorrow that the eye can’t see.” Reach out a hand of compassion to all around you, even if they might not outwardly seem to need it. We’ve all been given our burdens to shoulder. Some are just more outwardly apparent than others.
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