Success!

This week was a little rough, I have to admit. And I am pretty sure that I didn't handle it as well as I could have. But, I have been blessed. Monday, the first day of the school week, I went to all my music classes that I had prepared really hard for over the weekend. I had worked really hard to get things right in all of them. I had put in the time. But in every class something went wrong. I felt I was floundering in ear training, I wasn't legato enough in one of my pieces I had worked hard on getting perfect for a good grade, I was told didn't have the right tone or feel free in my upper register, I wasn't eating properly and felt the effects of it in my sickness, it was bitter cold, I didn't plan on getting home until after ten that night, and I was (am) one of my teacher's pet peeves. It just felt like everything came crashing down in one day. It was only the beginning of the semester! If I was having trouble with just the beginning of the semester how was I supposed to survive the rest? I felt like maybe I wouldn't be able to do the things I wanted to do in life. I could live with that. But I didn't want to be a quitter, and I wanted to "cheerfully do all [the] things that [were] in [my] power" and then see the arm of God revealed (D&C 123:17) . I was disturbed by the fact that I couldn't give a smile to those I passed on campus without forcing myself to. The worst part of the day was that I was feeling so sick to my stomach and out of it I actually missed a class because in the previous class I was randomly crying and trying to keep to myself so no one would see, which is kinda hard when you are trying to sing. So I deemed myself homeward bound. In my own opinion I wasn't in any condition to learn or be in public. So, I sought out a friend who listened to me vent (which really helped) and took me to eat dinner. I was grateful for the support. They reassured me that everything would be fine. Which I really believed, but it was nice to hear it from someone. It was good to hear someone actually acknowledge that I did have talent and was going to make it through, instead of all the things I had to fix and how hard it is to complete my major. I don't blame my professors because it is their job to point out what needs fixing and how to change this and that to make us even better than we are, and normally most things that happened that day wouldn't have bothered me in a regular setting, but everything came crashing down at once. It was just one of those days.
Later in the week I took an Ear Training test, which went fairly well. I was even in the middle of taking the test when I thought to myself, "This is fun!" And somehow I was able to get everything done I wanted to get done in the day. Granted, I had to stay up a little, but I was able to go to bed at a decent time. Also, the same day I went to the Temple I got in my practice room and discovered I could make overtones with my voice! I got so pumped up! It is supposed to take four years to discover how to get the right placement to do that consistently, and though it wasn't on every note that I was able to do that, it was still a consistent thing in certain parts of the piece. This doesn't mean that things are perfect, very much far from perfection, but I am being blessed and making excellent progress. Somehow things have a tendency to work out for our good when we put our trust in the God that gave us life and so much more. Truly, I am blessed far beyond what I deserve. And when you look at the big picture, I am struck with awe that a being so powerful and perfect can take a special interest in one daughter at the edge of a huge galaxy in a never-ending universe in one small planet in one small country in one small town.
It reminds me of the story of Joseph Smith. Here was this boy born into humble circumstances humbly kneeling in prayer to his Heavenly Father. Then God the Father appears to him in all his glory. In all his power and majesty he says the most humbling thing. He calls Joseph by name. He addressed this spirit son by name, being well aware of him. He already knew Joseph. And he knew his potential. This being of perfect understanding who is all mighty knows all of us individually and wants us to succeed. What a loving Father we have! He will stay with us if we allow him to. He can be such a prominent part of our lives for we are Never Alone.