My Crown

I found the best scripture the other day while I was studying. I don't know why I've never heard it before—or maybe I heard it before I was a grandmother and didn't understand it. The verse is from Proverbs 17:6 and says: "Children's children are the crown of old men." I can add from personal experience that they are also the crown of old women. Oh what joy! I am in California for the birth of our 29^th grandchild. (His name is George and he is adorable—like all of my grandchildren!) His big sister, Jane, calls him "My baby." It is so cute. "Why is my baby crying," she'll ask as she hovers over him. To see the love she has for him already is amazing.

We've also had two grandsons move in with us to go to school and what a delight! I feel ten years younger! Family Home Evening is so much more interesting with four people instead of two and family prayer feels more complete. Ryan and Nate are wonderful. They are both a lot like their Papa and it is fun to see these traits pass through the generations. They are helpful. They tease me. They wrestle with Papa (but they make sure they don't hurt him!) They are even more fun than when they were younger—and they were a lot of fun then!

Maybe this verse in Proverbs jumped off the page and wrapped itself around my heart because I REALLY felt the truth of it. There is a lot of work and worry attached to parenting that obscures some of the joy. But with grandchildren, you just get the joy.

Prosper in the Land

When I think back on my growing up years, the first thought that comes to me is that nothing went right. It seems that trials and tribulations were all my family encountered at every turn. My mother had undulant fever. My father contracted encephalitis from a mosquito bite and almost died. Our house burned down. Dad started several businesses and problems plagued every one of them. Dad had blood clots in his lungs. Financial problems hung over us like a storm that wouldn't abate. I could go on, but this is enough to give you a feel for the things that plagued us.

Despite all of this, my parents were always faithful in the Church. They paid a full tithe. They studied the scriptures. They attended the temple often. They taught us. They served in the Church and were always very active. The problem with all of this is that I kept hearing and reading verses of scriptures such as that found in 2 Nephi 1:20; "Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land." I saw that my parents were diligently trying to keep the commandments, but they weren't prospering. This bothered me a lot and challenged my testimony.

It took years of study and gospel scrutiny for me to finally realize what the Lord means when he says "prosper in the land." I should have caught on from the very verse I just quoted. The rest of that verse says, "But inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence." I was always so caught up in the "prosper" part that I didn't see that the opposite of prospering has nothing to do with wealth. The opposite is to be cut off from the Lord. This led me to the realization that this earth is one day going to be the celestial kingdom. So to prosper in the land means to stay here—to be part of the celestial kingdom. This is explained in Proverbs 2:21-22, "For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it."

While it is true that righteous people often acquire more earthly prosperity, it doesn't always happen. There are many righteous people who struggle financially and many wicked people who don't. But righteous people will always acquire faith and will "prosper in the land" in that they will receive a celestial inheritance in this land.

When I think back on my growing up years, my second thought is that everything went exactly as it was supposed to. My parents had faith. What more could I ask for?

Pulling Carts of Sin

If you've been reading this blog long, you know that I love the visual images presented in the scriptures. One of my favorite pictures is painted by Isaiah in Isaiah 5:18 (also 2 Ne 15:18). The image is of us pulling on a rope attached to a heavy cart. As Isaiah puts it: "Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope." At first when I'd see this picture in my head it filled me with sadness. It sometimes still does, but more often now it makes me chuckle.

Think about it. Isaiah is telling us that sin and vanity are like ropes that bind us to a heavy, heavy load. The load we drag around with us, the load that weighs us down, consists of such things as depression, discouragement, guilt, pride, self-doubt, grudges, and any of the other negative feelings caused by sin. Once you get the picture in your head of a weary, feeble, sad person, the rope of sin over his shoulder digging more painfully into the muscle with every step as he drags the enormous load everywhere he goes, you see that every step gets harder and more painful. But all he needs to do to stop hurting and make his journey easier is to let go of the rope! It is so simple. How easy the journey would be without the heavy cart. And the irony? That's what makes me chuckle. No one needs to pull such a cart. Lugging the cart is self-inflicted pain. So why do we drag heavy loads around? Many reasons, but most of them boil down to pride. We can't admit we're wrong. We can't admit that all this junk we've been hauling behind us wasn't necessary. We're too embarrassed to admit our mistakes and repent. We are stuck in our old ways and too proud to learn something new.

But without the cart, we have the energy and the ability to skip—no make that dance—the path of life. Without the heavy cart obstacles in the road are a nuisance, but not insurmountable. Without the cart, the journey of life is a joy, not a burden. So let go.

Let us leave the cart with all its burdens behind, and let God take our blistered hands and help us along the path. He will, if we will let go of the rope and put our weary hands in His healing hands.

Photo from Getty Images by AFP/Getty Images

Looking Back

Yesterday Carl and I celebrated our 41 wedding anniversary. We spent the entire day together driving around Wasatch and Summit counties trying to find a cabin or mountain lot we could afford to buy so we could have the mountain cabin retreat we've always dreamed about. We found a lot of beautiful places for sale, but most were far out of our price range. We'll keep dreaming, looking, and keep hoping, but in the meantime we know that even if our mountain cabin dream never comes true we have ten amazing children that we love and they love us. I wouldn't trade any of my unfulfilled material dreams for what we now have.

It was difficult when they were growing up and we had even less than we have now to make a decision to have more children. It would have been nice to have a boat or a motorhome or a bigger, nicer house with nicer furniture. It would have been great to give more lessons and opportunities to the children. It would have been nice to have taken them on exotic trips or to have given them more of everything parents give children. But from the vantage point of 41 years I am more certain than ever that I made the right choice.

There is not one single one of my children that I could live without. They bring me so much joy. Oh, it hasn't all been roses and chocolate. We've had our struggles. We've lived through health problems, stresses, rebellions, emotional breakdowns, financial crisis and all the other fretful things that go with family life. But what I can say now, is that it has all been worth it. My children make me laugh. They call just when I need comfort and encouragement. They keep me humble. They know me better than anyone else and like me in spite of my faults. They keep me company (when they are here and through telephone visits). They bring me incredible joy as I watch them doing the things I taught them to do. That is one of the surprises of old age—discovering how much joy it brings you when you see your children doing what is right. Another surprise is watching them do things you never did teach them. Every one of them has skills and talents that I don't have. Every one of them has learned and surpassed me! What a delight.

Forty-one years! It started out with the two of us and now there are 50 (next month there will be 51!) of us. I am so grateful for the years and for the family! I can't even put into words what it means to me. God has been so good to me.

The Power In Thought

At one point in the Bible we find King David thanking God for all He has given them in order to build a temple. After David praises God, he asks that God will help the people always remember the things they are seeing—the abundance of luxurious materials that have been given them to build the temple. As King David says, "Keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee" (1 Chronicles 29:18).

Alma in the Book of Mormon urges the people of Zarahemla to do a similar thing. He says, "Now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?" (Alma 5:6). Both King David and Alma recognize the power our thoughts have on us. Thoughts determine all action and behavior. If we are continually savoring good thoughts, our actions will naturally be good.

David and Alma want their people to choose to fill their minds with thoughts of gratitude and wonder and praise because they know the power of good thoughts. They know that the power isn't just in having positive thoughts. The power comes from centering our thoughts on God and His goodness—on what He has done and will do and is doing for us. The more we remember Him, the more we use our imagination to think about him, the more faith and hope and joy come into our lives. What we think about is a choice. The faith, hope, and joy are a consequence of that choice.

There is power in allowing our minds to consciously review all that is good.

The Fountain of Living Water

I haven't swum for years, but that doesn't change the fact that I am part fish. I love the water. I don't like to just splash around and play in the water. I love to swim laps or better still to swim in a lake where you can just go and go and go without hitting a wall. There's a freedom in swimming that I imagine is something like flying. The water holding you in a gentle caress, stroking your shoulders as you rhythmically paddle on, and whishing a foreign ballad in your ears as you go is enchanting. For some reason when I'm in the water I feel one with the earth; one with God's universe.

But water is so much more than recreation. My body is 60% water! I love drinking water. I delight in a warm shower or soaking in a hot tub. Cleaning a kitchen would be torture without water and I can't even imagine how you'd ever get your clothes or dishes clean without it. I look forward to walking in spring showers and feeling the rain tickle my face. On any given day, take note how often water plays a part in your life. It's amazing. We can't live without water.

Maybe this love of water is the reason I delight when Isaiah says, "With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3). Water is the life force both physically and spiritually. We are baptized in water. We drink the Sacramental water. We receive salvation from the Fountain of Living Water—Jesus Christ. When I used to hear that phrase, I'd think of a beautiful sculpted fountain spouting water into the air from its center and water spilling over its sides in cascades. But I have since learned that in Biblical days the word fountain referred to a source of something. So the Fountain of Living Water is the Source of Living Water. Jesus Christ is where it all comes from.

As I wash the garden soil off my work weary hands, I feel the water softly caressing my skin and it reminds me of the wells of salvation changing my soiled and tired soul into something pure and refreshed. Water is the source of all that is good.

picture: www.tetratech.com/.../Desal/water-glass.gif

Birthing

I am at the Inova-Alexandria hospital. I came here early this morning to watch my 28^th grandchild come into the world. But the baby was breech and they have taken my daughter into surgery to do a C-section. While I've been waiting, I've been praying and thinking about this whole business of giving life—being a co-creator with God.

I've heard it said that the birth process is the closest we get to God while in this life. I don't know if that is true but it makes sense because there are so many parallels between birth and the Atonement—emotional suffering, physical pain, blood shed and meeting the unexpected head on. And then comes the life.

Because my mother suffered and bled, I live. As Isaiah said of the Savior, "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). As women we shed our blood monthly just for the possibility of one day giving life. And the Savior shed his blood for all just for the possibility that all would repent and turn to him. But perhaps the most important thing I've learned about the Atonement from giving birth is that when you suffer for someone, you love them more. Logic would tell me that if someone caused you that much pain and suffering, you would resent them or at least have an aversion toward them. But that's not how it is. The moment we see these little ones, our hearts overflow with love. They cause us pain, and yet we love them. It makes no sense, but it is very real.

As women, we should comprehend and relate more to the Atonement. We should ponder and learn more from our birthing experience about the Atonement and then help our children and husbands to understand more about the most important event in the history of mankind.

There is a baby crying down the hall. There is no sound in the world like that first cry—a cry for help and at the same time a cry of joy. That, too, is what the Atonement is all about.

Picture:
www.solarnavigator.net/animal_kingdom/animal