This life and its Up's and Down's

Elder Larry Y. Wilson said, "Life wasn't intended to be good all the time.  Life is full of ups and downs.  When you're down, Satan wants you to think it will always be down. And when you're up Satan wants you to think it will always be up."
This is a quote I have found to be very true in my life. I have experienced the truth of this quote in others lives as well. I have always felt a deep desire to help those around me, especially when they are down. These are a common phrases that I hear:  Things are always down. Things are always bad.  This is my life, I never have an up. Someone very dear to me as taken this as their anthem. I am sure this satisfies Satan more that I would like to believe. It doesn't have to be that way for them.  Life isn't intended to always be good and always go right. 
Trust me, if it did my life would be very different. My family would be perfect, and all would be well with them.  I would be going to school where I would love to go. I would not have to be worrying about money all the time.  I wouldn't be running into so many walls and road blocks.  I wouldn't be building my own walls and own road blocks.  But this my friend, is called life. 
I am so glad that things don't go the way that I plan them.  Heavenly Father's plan is much more beautiful and sweet than anything I could ever dream. This beautiful road that is individual to each of us is hard.  It's hard to get to and it's hard to see the beauty in it.  It is there.  This is another obligation I feel I am bound to point out, a gift from my Heavenly Father, is the beauty in everything. In every storm, there is beauty. In dark valleys- many I know have been lead through- in this life, there is beauty.  One of my favorite songs lyrics are as follows, "(So let go) let go.Just get in.Oh it's so amazing here.It's all right'. Cause there's beauty in the breakdown." Let go, by Frou Frou.
I felt overwhelmed lately when hearing the lives of others, especially the downs.  As of late I feel that everyone I know, care for, and love are having downs in their life. Their pattern of down is daunting. I have patterns of downs.  But what makes the greatest difference is, choosing to see the beauty.  The most beautiful thing I see when I am down is Heavenly Father's hand guiding me through. This makes my downs bearable.

I am so grateful to have so many wonderful people in my life that are examples to me of courage, faith and strength as I watch them tackle what they face. There is beauty in their courage, faith and strength. I hope they see it and I hope they know the beauty they bring into my life because of their examples.