The Most Sacred of Sundays

I don't know about anyone else, but this Easter was spectacular! Yes, I spent most of the weekend catching up on homework, procrastinating big projects, and otherwise trying not to drown under the increasingly tall pile of work, but Sunday... was Sunday. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday, a perfect day to  reflect on my Savior and ponder on the miracle of His life. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for His frequent forgiveness of my multitude of sins. His life, His atonement, His resurrection has given me the hope that I can continue pestering loving my husband far into the eternities. As much as he, and my in-laws, and my parents, and my siblings can drive me absolutely bonkers, I love them and would feel so incredibly distraught and hopeless if I didn't think we could be together forever.


Job asked the million dollar question: "if a man die, shall he live again?" During my short, but powerful time in the PICU, I saw this question asked hundreds of times, except it sounded more like: "If my child dies, where will he go? Will he live again? Who will take care of him?" I feel blessed to be able to say, that I have a testimony that this earth, this life, is not everything and is certainly not the end. When Mary returned to the tomb and found it empty, an angel said to her, "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen" (Luke 24:5-6). What a tremendous message of hope and love: He is risen. And "as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22). He is risen, and so shall we be risen. 


I struggled in my faith as I watched good, wholesome, precious children suffer and die. Perhaps that is part of the reason I left CHLA. Overtime, my faith, testimony, hope - whatever you prefer to call it in your own belief - has strengthened, and the foundation has started to heal. He is risen. He is taking care of those children whose last breaths I saw leave their tiny innocent bodies, until their earthly parents can return to raise them. He has given the ultimate sacrifice, to allow each of us to repent from our sins, be resurrected, and have the opportunity to live with Him in His glorious kingdom, with our family and loved ones, for all eternity. "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" (Isa. 53: 4-5). I pray that I can live each day worthy to return to Him and to receive the blessing of eternal life. 


I challenge each of you (and myself) to start everyday with a phrase, to remind you to live each day to the fullest, to strive for improvement and perfection, to make good decisions, and to always keep the end goal in mind. Tell yourself:


"Today is the beginning of eternal happiness or eternal disappointment for [me]" (Teachings of the presidents of the church: George Albert Smith, Chapter 7)