"Whatever comes, comes."

Good line right?
I thought so too.
It came in a letter that I received today from my friend Alex.
He was telling me some funny stories about how, more often than not, life seems to take us by surprise. Now these surprises can be good, bad, ugly, exciting, funny, nerve-wracking, sad, happy, beautiful or any other adjective you can think of.

An example:
When I found out that I was coming here to McMinnville, you can bet that I was super surprised! Excited to be going to a town that I've spent the last year hearing nothing but good about, scared that we were both going to be new in the area, sad to leave the members and friends that I had grown to love in Hermitage, nervous for the unknown.

An example:
When I found out that I had been called to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Nashville, Tennessee, I was surprised.
Excited. Nervous. At peace.
When I found out that I was going to be learning Spanish there, the surprise doubled. [And the peace went away..]

An example:
When the spirit told me that I needed to serve a mission, I was surprised. [And reluctant.] It wasn't in the plan. I was supposed to go back to school. I didn't like that surprise. So I took the easy way out-- I didn't listen. I kept on going on with life as if the Spirit hadn't told me anything.

But surprise! Here I am! Full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Some days I think that it would have been easier if I had just kept ignoring those promptings to serve. But then I remember that Heavenly Father is a whole lot smarter than me. He knows what I needed then and He knows what I need now. He knew exactly who I needed to meet and what experiences I needed to have. He knew the person that I was, and He knew that I needed to be

better.

braver.

more humble.

more patient.

more loving.

more accepting.

more Christ-like.

He knew that I needed to be all of these things so that I would one day be accepted into His presence. He knew that I wasn't good enough then, and trust me, I'm still not good enough yet, but if I had never accepted His will in the first place, I wouldn't be the tiny bit closer that I am right now. That's what brings us back to Alex's thought: "Whatever comes, comes." I know that when we accept the plans that Heavely Father has for us we'll also receive the blessings that He has for us.

So I say, "Follow the path that Heavenly Father has for you."

Alex says, "Whatever comes, comes."

And Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, apostle of the Lord, says,

"Come what may, and love it."

I'd say we're in pretty good company :)