A SPIRITUAL AND TEARY SABBATH DAY.....

CRAIG WHITE....JONATHAN'S DAD WAS ONE OF OUR HIGH COUNCILMEN SPEAKERS TODAY.  AS I LOOKED AT HIM ON THE STAND I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK , "HOW IS HE GOING TO SPEAK TODAY?"  WE ARE ALL REALIZING THAT JON COULD PASS AWAY ANY TIME NOW.  I HUGGED JULIE (HIS MOM) THE OTHER DAY AND GOT TO HUG CRAIG TODAY...CRAIG AND SHAD ARE THE SAME AGE AND FIRST COUSINS.

SO HOW DO YOU GET UP IN CHURCH AND GIVE A TALK WHEN YOU EMOTIONS ARE SO CLOSE TO THE SURFACE.  AS I LISTENED, I THINK I WAS MORE TEARY THAN CRAIG.  HE GAVE A BEAUTIFUL TALK.....TURNING THINGS OVER TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER BECAUSE WE HE SEES ETERNITY.  STILL I THINK ABOUT NOT ONLY LOSING YOUR SON....YES TEMPORARILY....BUT ALSO SEEING HIM NOT BE ABLE TO BE THERE FOR HIS YOUNG FAMILY IN THIS LIFE.  I KNOW I SEE SO LITTLE OF THE PLAN.  I KNOW ALL WILL BE MADE RIGHT.

I JUST CAN'T HELP BUT THINK OF THE FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN THAT HAVE HAD A PARENT PASS AWAY AND KNOW HOW HARD IS WAS FOR THEM.  STILL...THEIR LIVES WERE HARD AND PAINFUL BEYOND WHAT I KNOW...BUT THEY MADE IT.  SOMEHOW THEY CARRIED ON.

I AM REALLY STARTING TO REALIZE THAT THIS LIFE DOESN'T TURN OUT THE WAY WE HAD PICTURED.  WE NEVER PICTURE HAVING SOMEONE SO CLOSE TO US PASS AWAY.  WE DON'T PICTURE THE SERIOUS ILLNESSES THAT CAN BECOME A PART OF OUR LIVES.

I WATCH AS GOOD PARENTS STRUGGLE TO KEEP THEIR CHILDREN ACTIVE AND KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS.  I PRAY FOR OUR CHILDREN IN THEIR MARRIAGES TO KNOW HOW TO HANDLE EACH SITUATION THAT COMES UP WITH EACH CHILD.

I FELT THAT I RECEIVED SOME INSPIRATION TODAY.  CRAIG TALKED ABOUT ASKING HEAVENLY FATHER IN OUR PRAYERS "WHAT DO I LACK?"  THAT IS A VERY BROAD QUESTION.....I COULD GO ON FOR DAYS ABOUT THE THINGS I AM NOT DOING RIGHT, BUT I CAME HOME AND SAID A PRAYER ASKING WHAT I NEED TO FOCUS ON RIGHT NOW.  THE ANSWER WAS SURPRISING AND CAME IN AN INTERESTING WAY.  I WAS LISTENING TO THE TABERNACLE CHOIR AND OF ALL SONGS....THEY SANG "GIVE SAID THE LITTLE STREAM".  AS I LISTENED I THOUGHT, I NEED TO GIVE MORE.....MORE LOVE, MORE SERVICE, MORE COMPASSION, AND MORE CHARITY.  ESPECIALLY MORE CHARITY.

I REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER SO QUICKLY....IT MUST BE SOMETHING I REALLY NEED TO BEGIN NOW.  CRAIG WHITE MANAGED TO CONVEY THAT MESSAGE TO ME WHILE HE IS DEALING WITH THE REALIZATION THAT HIS SON WILL SOON PASS AWAY.

I KNOW I WILL TRY TO "GIVE" MORE OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS TO THEIR FAMILY.  AS I DO THAT...I CONTINUE TO PRAY THAT THE SECOND COMING MAY COME SWIFTLY.  UNTIL THEN, I WILL DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP OTHERS.