Where have I been? I wonder myself sometimes. I guess I've been busy. I plan to update this blog shortly. Hopefully today.
I just found out about Christian and Stephanie Nielsen and their plane crash last August 2008 and how he was burned over 30% of his body and she over 80% of hers. I went through their blog, page by page back to their accident and before. I went through her sister's blog, page by page, reading of how she cared for her sister, Stephanie's, four beautiful children while she recovered for four+ months in the hospital. I cried and cried . . . not just for them and for their children, but for me. I do not appreciate and cherish my family and my life as I should. What a wake-up call for me. It is time for me to ENJOY my family. To quote an apostle, "Come what may, and love it." To quote a prophet, "Enjoy the journey."
Prior to their accident, this family seemed to love and appreciate every moment of life . . . fatherhood, motherhood, being a husband and wife, enjoying romance, and loving each child so tenderly and sincerely. Everything was wonderful for them. They had created heaven on earth. And then it happened. This huge trial came their way. Now, six months later, they are home and have their children home with them. They have moved from their lovely home in Arizona, to Utah, I assume because they need to be near family for help and support. Now they must press forward, day by day, surgery by surgery, and create a new heaven on earth. Certainly, each new pleasure and joy is much sweeter to them than ever before. Despite their challenges, daily life keeps pushing on. They have to still do all the regular daily tasks we do, but with the added health and mobility challenges . . . not to mention the visual scars they must see reflected at them in the mirror. Her beautiful blogsite is a museum of portraits and family photos to remind them of their beauty that will be restored to them. I am so grateful to know that through the resurrection, made possible by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that every part of their bodies will be restored to their perfect state. The hard part is having patience to wait until then and enduring the hardships until they pass through the veil.
I write this through my tears because I need to change. I need to repent of my ingratitude and selfishness and let the atonement heal my soul and heart. I need to be happy. I need to look around my messy home and be grateful I have one. I need to look around at my beautiful children and love and cherish them, even when they are squabbling and telling me I'm the meanest mom in the world. I need to find more opportunites to be nice and enjoy my family, and stop being irritated and mean to them. I need to be grateful the Lord has given us a new challenge and opportunity to grow, by sending us soon to North Carolina. It is time for me to love this move, too.
Every moment of life is precious. I need to appreciate all the blessings I have right hear and now. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to be good. I don't want to look back and say, "I didn't know how good I had it." I have been EXTREMELY blessed my whole life and I need to act like that and treat my family with care and respect and a whole lot more love.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Thanks for this post. I don't know who you were speaking of in your blog (did you know them personally?), but I was touched by their story and their triumphs, trials, and struggles. I wish them the best. And I appreciated your insights as well. Glad to have you among the "blogging" community again!
Post a Comment