We are all moving through life, and life is moving through us. The question is not if we will face storms, but how we will move when they come.
In a recent Leading Saints podcast episode titled “The Local Ward When Tragedy Strikes,” Dan Duckworth shared powerful insights about what happens when adversity unexpectedly enters our lives or communities. It might arrive through illness, loss, betrayal, or disappointment—but come it will.
As I listened, I was reminded that while hardship is inevitable, the way we move through it is not. We have a sacred choice: to lean into our challenges and allow God to refine us, or to resist and be dragged behind the weight of what we cannot control.
Whether we’re leading in our home, our ward, or our community, we’re also walking our own private roads of adversity. And somewhere along those roads, every one of us faces a moment of decision: Will we be dragged through our challenges, or will we be directed through them?
Movement is guaranteed. Growth is optional.
Either way, we’re going to move. Pain and loss have a way of pulling us forward, ready or not. But when we invite God into our story, the movement changes. What once felt like being dragged behind life’s speeding car can become a guided, grace-filled journey of growth, refinement, and eventually peace.
When Life Feels Out of ControlSeveral years ago, my husband and I were in a serious car accident that left me with several broken bones and a traumatic brain injury. Overnight, my world turned upside down.
At first, I was emotionally being dragged behind that shattered vehicle, bruised, fearful, and angry about the road I hadn’t chosen. My mind was raging and foggy, my body weak, and my spirit exhausted.
But as the months passed, I began to realize I had a choice. The “vehicle” of my life may have been totaled, but I could climb into a new one. It wasn’t the make or model I wanted, I didn’t like its dents or how slowly it moved, but it had wheels and a steering wheel. I could drive again, with God as my navigator.
Once I accepted that, the healing shifted. I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I was no longer being dragged. I was learning, with divine help, how to be directed through it.
That choice changed everything.
Scriptural Examples of Directed AdversityScripture is filled with people who faced the same choice. Their circumstances vary, but the lesson is always the same: pain can become purpose when we allow God to direct our movement.
Job: Enduring With FaithJob’s story is one of the most well-known examples of undeserved suffering. He lost everything, his health, wealth, and children, yet his response was not to curse God, but to worship Him:
“The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).
Job didn’t minimize his pain, but he didn’t surrender to despair either. Through the ashes of grief, he found a deeper trust. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught,
“Every experience can become a redemptive experience if we remain bonded to our Savior through it.”
Job didn’t just survive his trials — he emerged with greater understanding of God’s nature and his own.
Jonah: Running, Then ReturningThen there’s Jonah. When God called him to preach repentance to Nineveh, Jonah ran in the opposite direction. His journey—complete with a storm, a shipwreck, and a large fish—shows what happens when we resist divine direction.
Jonah was literally dragged through his trial, tossed by waves, trapped in darkness, stewing in self-pity. But once he turned back to God and prayed from the belly of the large fish, he was released—physically and spiritually.
Jonah’s story reminds us that God’s mercy doesn’t end when we run. The moment we’re willing to be directed, He opens a way forward.
Esther: Courage in the UnknownEsther’s challenge came not from running, but from fear. As a young queen asked to risk her life to save her people, she initially hesitated. But then came Mordecai’s gentle nudge:
“Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).
With fasting, faith, and courage, Esther chose to lean into her challenge rather than hide from it. Her obedience saved a nation.
These scriptural heroes show us the spectrum of human response, from resistance to surrender, from being dragged to being directed, and how God can transform every hardship into holy ground.
In that Leading Saints episode, Brother Duckworth reminded listeners that when tragedy strikes, everything changes, but we still have stewardship over our response.
That line resonated deeply with me.
After my accident, I couldn’t control the road I was on, but I could decide whether to be dragged by the pain or be directed by the purpose. I came to understand that being “dragged” looks like fighting what’s happening, holding on to resentment, or waiting for life to feel fair again. Being “directed” means turning toward God in trust, even when the way forward feels uncertain. We cannot always choose the timing or type of our trials, but we can choose our posture within them.
Choosing How We MoveElder Jeffrey R. Holland once said:
“Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead… It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.”
The storms won’t always calm immediately. The healing might not look the way we hoped. But when we keep walking with faith, however slow or halting our steps, we invite the Savior to walk with us.
The miracle isn’t just surviving the trial. It’s discovering who we become in the process.
After our accident, when I was finally moved out of the ER into a “regular” room, I remember the first time I staggered unaided across the room. It wasn’t pretty — my gait was awkward and my head pounded. But I was grateful I could move and I deeply recognized Father’s hand. It wasn’t about speed or grace. It was about forward motion, guided by God.
Supporting Others in Their JourneyAs disciples, and especially as leaders in our homes, wards, and communities, we have a sacred opportunity to help others find this same strength.
Sometimes that means sitting quietly beside someone who’s still in the “being dragged” phase. Other times, it’s reminding them gently that they still have a steering wheel—even if it’s dented and wobbly.
True ministering doesn’t fix or rush someone’s process; it helps them feel seen, safe, and supported while God does the healing.
When we lead with compassion rather than correction, we help others discover their own partnership with heaven.
Turning the Drag Into DirectionSo how do we shift from being dragged to being directed when life unravels? Here are a few spiritual guideposts:
When We Lead with EmpathyLeaders who have suffered well, lead differently. They listen longer, judge slower, and love deeper.
Your scars, physical or emotional, become sacred credentials that allow you to connect with others in their pain.
When we remember that everyone’s challenge looks different, we begin to see adversity not as a punishment but as a curriculum. Each person’s classroom looks unique, but the Teacher is the same. As we lead in our homes and wards, we can ask:
Let’s also be mindful that when we are striving to encourage and support others through their heavy load, we need to ask be guided by the Spirit and strive to be sure we answer these three questions in the affirmative before we give advice: “Is it kind, is it true and is it necessary?”
Becoming Directed PeopleThe Lord doesn’t just want us to endure life; He wants us to learn from it. He invites us to walk with Him, not be dragged behind our circumstances. Hardship isn’t evidence of God’s absence but of His active, shaping hand.
We can resist, or we can receive.
We can be dragged, or we can be directed.
The choice is ours, every time.
The Peace That Comes From DirectionIt’s been four years since my accident. I can say with gratitude that God didn’t just heal my body, He reshaped my soul.
The brain that once struggled to process words now cherishes stillness.
The bones that once ached now remind me that I can move.
The experience that once felt like punishment has become a pulpit for compassion.
When I look back, I see the Lord’s fingerprints all over that journey.
He didn’t just help me survive; He helped me see.
And now, when I meet others in their own storms, whether in a Relief Society lesson, a counseling session, or a quiet conversation, I can testify that being directed by the Lord, even through the hardest roads, brings a peace that cannot be dragged away.
“Dragged or Directed” Is a Daily DecisionEach morning, we decide whether to grip the steering wheel of faith or let life pull us behind. The car may be battered, the route uncertain, but with God as our driver, every mile becomes meaningful.
As leaders and disciples, we can invite others to make that same decision, not through lectures but through love. Through our example, we can show that peace is possible, not after the storm but within it.
Because ultimately it’s not about avoiding the crash. It’s about trusting the Driver who knows every turn.
Beth Young is a convert of 48 years; served a mission in North Carolina; has been married for 38 years to her sweetheart, Bob; has five adult children and two grandchildren. She raised her family in Texas for 25 years where she served in various capacities in church and in her community. She moved to Utah seven years ago and loves writing, teaching, and inspiring others to make changes to their physical, mental, and spiritual health. Beth is the owner of 5 Pillars of Health, serves as the written content manager at Leading Saints, and is a master gardener.
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