Firm Roots

I'm feeling a little dark, but on the other hand, I have great faith that everything happens for a reason. In just over the past 24 hours, the following has happened:

• Boston bombing (I was a nanny just outside of Boston and have always loved that city)
• a friend's husband who is in his 30's had a massive stroke and is not expected to survive; they have four small children
• a 14-year-old girl from my hometown of Provo, Utah, disappeared while walking to middle school - the same school my siblings attended (UPDATE: she was found!)
• a former classmate died last week of ovarian cancer; we weren't close, but it makes me feel mortal
• a friend told me he is separating from his wife; he confessed that his life is unhappy
• a friend, mother of four kids 5 and under, had an emergency appendectomy

This morning as I was teaching seminary, I felt impressed to challenge the youth to find the talk from our recent April conference that discusses the difference between world peace and inner peace. It seems so appropriate now. You can read or listen to the talk HERE. Here are some of my favorite thoughts from the talk.

Agency is essential to the plan of happiness. It allows for the love, sacrifice, personal growth, and experience necessary for our eternal progression. This agency also allows for all the pain and suffering we experience in mortality, even when caused by things we do not understand and the devastating evil choices of others. The very War in Heaven was waged over our moral agency and is essential to understanding the Savior’s earthly ministry.

We earnestly hope and pray for universal peace, but it is as individuals and families that we achieve the kind of peace that is the promised reward of righteousness. This peace is a promised gift of the Savior’s mission and atoning sacrifice...The peace to which I am referring is not just a temporary tranquility. It is an abiding deep happiness and spiritual contentment.

We all long for peace. Peace is not just safety or lack of war, violence, conflict, and contention. Peace comes from knowing that the Savior knows who we are and knows that we have faith in Him, love Him, and keep His commandments, even and especially amid life’s devastating trials and tragedies.

I'm reminded of a time in my childhood when a huge pine tree blew down right next to our house. It had looked enormous and invincible. When it fell, the roots tore up the entire lawn. They were probably about 12 feet in diameter, but they were not deep. The tree had never worked hard enough for water to develop deep roots. When the tree was tested by the wind, it wasn't firm enough to withstand the pressure. I think that often we go through difficult things so that we can develop strong roots.

I have no wise words to say about any of things. They have made me reflect much over the past day or so about what really matters, why things happen, what determines how we react to our trials the way we do and most especially, how grateful I am that my children are safe in their beds (or actually in my bed).