The desire of your heart

Consistent with the thoughts in my last post, I have not fully fleshed out my thoughts for this post. I have a rough sketch and will likely ramble a bit as I am typing. Hopefully, this unpolished feel will make for a more inviting environment to start a discussion in the comments section.
The background for this post is the reading of the Gospels in the New Testament. I noticed, since I was able to read large chunks at a time, that there are many people who flock to the Savior to be healed of their several ailments. So far as I could recall, those who then chose to remain with or follow after Christ were the exception, not the rule. That is, most people came, were healed, and left. Certainly, many of them "noised abroad" what they had seen/heard/experienced, but I would think that the greater opportunity would have been to remain with the Savior and learn of Him.
So, prompted by that, here are some thoughts.
A quick scan (certainly not exhaustive) of the scriptures shows that "desire" is rarely pluralized, especially in phrases such as "the desire of your heart(s)". One possible exception is Alma 41:3, but that might be pluralized because it is talking about many people who are not united in their desire, so they each have their own desire, hence desires.
One instance, which has become prominent in my mind, is DC 137:9 (there is a mirror verse in the BoM that I cannot find at the moment) where the Lord says he will judge all men according to the desire (singular) of their heart.
So, if you only get one desire, what is yours? What is your single greatest desire? This is kind of like the game we all played as children where we would ask each other what we would wish for if we found a genie. Except, now you only get one wish, and it has eternal ramifications.
Solomon, when asked this question of the Lord, answered that he desired an understanding heart so that he could righteously judge Israel (1 Kings 3:5-14). John and 3/12 Nephites asked to continue to move forward the Lord's work on the earth until He should declare it complete (3 Ne 28). 9/12 and 11/12 asked that, when their time and labors were done, if they could speedily join Christ in His kingdom (presumably, they still have labors to perform).
Christ asked Bartimaeus (Mark 10:50ish) "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?" Bartimaeus indicated he wished to be healed. He was on of those who then followed the Savior.
Are there times where we become so focused on the trial at hand (something great like a palsy, blindness, etc, or something more subtle - envy, jealousy, pride, greed, smallness of spirit) that our greatest desire becomes, like so many who were healed of the Savior, not realizing the enormity of the potential blessings He offered, to simply have this burden removed. Just as those who are healed and depart miss out on the greatest of possible blessings, I think that when we seek only to have our burdens removed, we are missing out on the growth, learning, refinement, and blessing attendant with trials and afflictions. This seems to be consistent with President Eyring's address "Mountains to Climb". I think sometimes, our personal, "mists of darkness" are generated by myopic, egocentric thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, those thoughts and feelings are born of the natural man; eventually we will have to overcome them, difficult as it may be.
What are some better questions we can ask, while in trials? Certainly, each of these questions would be more difficult to ask sincerely, but I think that means that greater "work" is done, greater faith exhibited, greater meekness/submissiveness demonstrated, and consequently, greater blessings bestowed. Some possible questions include "What wouldst Thou have me learn/become through this trial?" "How may I use this experience to bless and lift others?" "What aspect of myself art Thou seeking to refine through this trial?" And, as the people of Alma in Helam, "Would thou please strengthen me that I may bear this burden?"
Sometimes, it is hard indeed to ask these questions in faith. In my experience, Heavenly Father is ever willing to answer the question "What aspect of my life wouldst Thou have me improve next," or variations thereof. There are always innumerable areas for improvement, but I have found that He is quite willing to help in prioritizing them. Sometimes the order is quite obvious! :)
Thankfully, most of us are not perpetually ground and worn down without relent. I have found, also, that there is a ready answer for the question, "Whose burden may I lighten, whose life might I bless?"
I am not sure I have made my point, but I think it clicked for me. What is the greatest (or only!) desire of your heart? Do your thoughts, words, and deeds reflect that desire, or are you trying to serve two masters? ;)
Feel free to open up discussion in the comments.