I Believe

Yesterday, a woman that I am acquainted with through Church passed away. She was not young, but her death was not expected. I had just spoken with her on Sunday and so it was surprising to learn of her death. Perhaps out of morbid curiousity I went to her facebook page to see what some of her final thoughts had been. (How odd that we live in a time when this is even possible.) Her last posts were of her family and of her faith. It caused me to reflect on my own life and what kind of a legacy I am leaving. I'm not sure that my blog or my facebook page are an accurate reflection of who I am and what I believe. I don't normally share my most private and personal feelings or my strongest convictions in this type of format, but I'm going to do that now. I want to be sure and make a statement that will leave no doubt.

I believe in a loving Father in Heaven. A being who is a man, not a vague figure, but a flesh and bone man who is perfect, omniscient and omnipotent. I believe that while He is this powerful person, He is also loving, caring and forgiving. I believe that He is interested in me as an individual, He knows my name, He knows who I am and He loves me. I believe that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to Earth to suffer at the hands of evil men so that death and sin could be overcome through the Atonement. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe that He was willing to live as a mortal man in order to experience mortal pain and emotion so that He can truly succor me when I am hurting. I believe that when no one else understands what I am going through, He understands. I believe that because of Him, I can be forgiven. I believe that He too loves me.

I believe in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am a Mormon. There are so many reasons why I believe in this Church. I have not seen a vision. I have not heard a voice from Heaven. But I have had innumerable small, spiritual experiences that have spoken to my soul and confirmed my belief.

I was born to amazing parents. The more time I spend as a mother, the more I realize how blessed I was to be raised in the home created by my parents. There was not much money, but there was much love, and there was a strong devotion to God and country. My favorite thing about my religion is the belief in eternal families. I believe that my parents, siblings, husband, children and all the extended family that comes with them are tied to me beyond death. Death is a temporary separation.

I love my husband. He is a good man. I have been very fortunate to be his wife for 10 years. He makes me laugh frequently and always makes me feel like he enjoys being with me. I often focus too much on his failings and not on his goodness. He is kind to me and never raises his voice to me in anger. He is a great dad and his children are lucky to have him for a father. The greatest gift I could have ever given to my children was to marry their dad.

I love my kids more than words could possibly express. I know that they are gifts to me from God and from their birth mothers. My life would be so empty without them. They have given my life a purpose and meaning that it never had before. I waited for what seemed like forever to be their mom and the wait was well worth it.

My life has been enriched by good friends. I don't like to move, but every time we move somewhere new, I make friends without whom my life would have been lacking. They have blessed my life in so many ways.

I am a simple person. I will never be rich or famous. But I believe that I can make a difference in the world around me. I believe that one smile, one kind word or one small act of service can result in a ripple effect that can have an enormous positive impact in the world. I believe that all of us causing these ripples can change families, communities and even the world. It sounds simplistic, but I believe it to be true.

I have been blessed and I am grateful.