I try hard to minimize the amount of medication I take, but I have a pretty major sleep disorder, and drugs have been a heavensend in managing it.

When my sleep meds stopped working last winter, life got really hard. My health problems (undiagnosed chronic issues) predictably worsen when my sleep isn’t good. I felt awful physically. I felt panicked, even depressed. In desperation, I went to my sleep doc’s office, hoping beyond hope that he could help me figure something else out.

The combination he gave me worked. It felt like a miracle. I thanked Heavenly Father for this tremendous blessing. I shared my gratitude in the “good news minute” in Relief Society meeting at church. For someone who has really never slept well, to get a sense of what it was like to lie down and actually drift off to sleep (and to sleep more deeply, and for longer stretches) was sweeter than sweet for me.

But after a very short time, the magic combination stopped working. (The drug he gave me had a side effect of helping with sleep. My body quickly adjusted to the drug and the side effect went away.)

To say I was devastated is an understatement. Not only was I back to being physically behind the eight ball, but spiritually and emotionally, I was in a hole, one that felt deeper than before. Hope and gratitude gave way to feelings of helplessness and grief. Why had something that felt so miraculous been taking from me? And what was I to do now? I was angry, worried, weary.

It took a few weeks and a few significant experiences to remember a sobering scriptural phrase that helped me reset my perspective.

“Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail.”

The word ‘must’ intrigues me. Is it possible that one of the only ways I can learn to lean on the Lord is to have all the other things on which I tend to rely fail me? I wonder…. Does this scripture tie into what it means to be compelled to be humble, or to have weakness revealed?

I’m reminded of Elder Holland, who said:

Life has its share of some fear and some failure. Sometimes things fall short, don’t quite measure up. Sometimes in both personal and public life, we are seemingly left without strength to go on. Sometimes people fail us, or economies and circumstance fail us, and life with its hardship and heartache can leave us feeling very alone.

But when such difficult moments come to us, I testify that there is one thing which will never, ever fail us. One thing alone will stand the test of all time, of all tribulation, all trouble, and all transgression. One thing only never faileth—and that is the pure love of Christ.

For me, it’s one thing to talk about faith in the Savior — it’s another thing to really try to live it, to really trust Him, regardless of what specific things may (or may not) be happening in my life.

How have you learned to lean on the Lord more in your life, to “cleave unto [His] charity” — especially when other things have failed?

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3. Proper Care and Feeding of Turkeys