Ahhhh, Spring!

It felt like spring was coming all too slowly, then, all of a sudden, BAM! It exploded!  On Easter Sunday the tulips were in full bloom in the Women's Garden south of the Visitors' Center.  I love spring in Nauvoo!  It is inspiring and hopeful.  It reminds me of all that is good and is another example that, "all things denote there is a god". 

I would like to briefly tell about an experience I’ve recently had.  It’s a little hard to explain, so bear with me.  The point is to express my gratitude and acknowledge my blessings.  This past week has been a bit frustrating for me.  Without belaboring the point, I have a few issues with my back that cause quite a bit of pain and numbness down the back of my legs.  It makes it difficult to walk, stand and sleep.  I have had a number of steroid injections over the past year, the last one being at the end of March.  I was hopeful it would do the trick and relieve the pain.  But that hasn’t been the case.  I received a priesthood blessing that gave me hope and my patriarchal blessing says that I would have faith to heal and faith to be healed.  So what’s the deal?  I began to wonder if I had as much faith as I thought I did.  What more could I do to show my faith? How do I show my Heavenly Father that I have faith in him, in his priesthood and in his promises?  I also thought, well, maybe having this back pain is what I’m supposed to go through and it’s all for a purpose, a part of his plan. These thoughts ran through my head as I listened to General Conference last weekend.  What I learned was that, for me, it was a matter of  turning it all over to my Heavenly Father.  I really had no idea what else to do.  So each morning when I say my prayers I SPECIFICALLY ask him to take care of me and my back.  I ask that any pain I might have won’t limit my ability to serve him in the ways I’ve been asked to serve.  I promise him that I will do all I can in my responsibilities in the office to help move our mission forward and lighten the load of our mission presidency.  And to do it with a smile and a happy heart.  I just have to say that as I have done this, and exercised just a small particle of faith, really the size of a grain of mustard seed, I have felt my Heavenly Father lift my burden and carry me through the day.  It doesn't mean the back pain is gone, but it does mean that I can do my part to serve him.  All tender mercies.  And I know “from whence they come.”

These hands belong to a senior missionary couple that I
serve with here.  I sat next to them at a recent fireside.
They are representative of the many senior couples who have
dedicated their lives to loving each other and serving the Lord. 

Spring pictures from the Women's Garden: 

In front of the Brickyard.

Behind Lucy Mack Smith's home.