Solace in Christ

“Sometimes, I just wish I had someone I could talk to. You have Sione, but because I’m single, I don’t really have anyone. I have friends that I can talk to about some things, but there isn’t one that I can talk to about everything.”

This was the lament of a dear friend over the phone a few weeks ago.

I have often thought about who that “one that I can talk to about everything” is in my life ever since that conversation.

Where do you turn when you need someone to talk to? Who has the time to listen as you pour out your heart? Who understands your pleas and pains when you have difficulty articulating them in words? Who do you counsel within making both the simple and important decisions of your life?

My sweet friend had wrongly assumed that my answer to these questions for me would be my husband, Sione.

While it is true that I often find great comfort in the opportunities I have to talk things out with my eternal companion, he is not the one I find my solace in. I love my husband. He knows me better than almost everyone, but even his perspective and understanding of who I am and what I need, at any given moment, is limited. 

While he is strong (his broad shoulders were one of the first things my brother and sister pointed out after meeting him), asking or expecting Sione to be able to carry me and my burdens on top of his own would be too much for him to handle alone. I love him too much to expect that of him.

As I think back to the times in my life that were the most difficult, and I needed someone to talk and confide in, what’s interesting to note is that my husband was not even an option at those times.

The friend I turned to and whom I continue to find solace in is Christ. 

Through the healing and enabling power of The Atonement of Jesus Christ, I find all the comfort, understanding, peace, and rest that I need. The Savior is both willing and able to carry my load and yours.

I know this because The Lord invites us to find solace in him when he says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).

In my experience, the Lord has delivered on that promise every single time. When it felt like none of my friends understood what I was going through, when I just needed that extra boost of confidence, when I felt like I’d reached my limit, when the workload and obligations were too much for me to handle, when I didn’t know what I could even do or say, when all I could do was lie there and cry — no matter the time, place, or circumstances the Lord has given me rest as I’ve come unto him. 

The invitation to come unto Christ has no expiration date and can be used as many times as we want.

His rest is a prayer away.

The Savior is never too busy to answer my calls or hear my pleas. When I can’t find the words to properly articulate my feelings, I find peace in knowing that, even still, he knows and understands my heart, my pains, and my desires — he knows and understands yours just as perfectly as he does mine. 

In a Brigham Young University devotional, “Ask God: Our Solace, Guide, and Stay,” President Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women General President, shared the following:

“Our Father in Heaven wants His children to counsel with Him about what is important to them. If it matters to us, it matters to Him because we matter to Him. Every prayer strengthens our relationship with Heavenly Father and helps us discover one of the true gifts of prayer—knowing we are not alone when the world literally brings us to our knees.”

“The Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name” (Helaman 3:27).

We need look no further than the Savior himself to find solace. He invites us to show up just as we are and promises to give us rest.

Solace is defined as comfort during times of distress or discomfort. How have you found solace in Christ?

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