Letting the Wind Blow

Today after church, the girls were looking out our front window as the wind mercilessly whipped against our house, threatening to rip the roof off just to show its wrath. Here's the conversation that followed:

Natalie: "Who turned on the wind?"
Makayla: "Heavenly Father turned it on."
Natalie: "No Silly, He's nice. He wouldn't do that!"
Makayla: "Remember that Jesus can make the wind stop, he can turn it on too."
Natalie: "No, Jesus is nice too."

I thought it was a cute little conversation. Then a thought came to my mind. On my mission many people would say, "If there is a loving Father in Heaven why does he let so many suffer? Natalie's response was very much like their concern. If He is "nice" He wouldn't allow uncomfortable, even painful situations happen. But He does, because He is a loving Parent. As I was re-reading the General Conference talks this month, I read the talk The Atonement Covers All Pain by Elder Kent F. Richards of the Seventy. He says,

"Pain is a gauge of the healing process. It often teaches us patience. Perhaps that is why we use the term patient in referring to the sick.

Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote: 'No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. … It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.'"

He goes on to say that the Savior is not a "silent observer". He knows our pain "personally" and "infinitely".

So while our loving Father, in His wisdom lets the winds ferociously blow. It is for our development and education. We can find rest in his Son that can heal all pains, wounds, and sadness. The Father is "nice" because He gives us these things for our good and to become like He is. He is "nice" because He gave us Jesus Christ to weather all our storms with us. I am eternally grateful for His wisdom to sometimes let the wind blow.