My dad called me yesterday. Mom will be home from the hospital soon, and the doctors who have been treating her know much more about the type of cancer she is fighting. That is one blessing that came from her hospital stay.
Very honestly Dad said, "What happens next? There is only One Person who knows the answer to that question . . . She has been living on the Lord's time these last two years."
During this week, this April 2009 conference talk, Adversity by Elder Eyring, has come to mind several times. Elder Eyring shared these thoughts shortly after we found out that Mom was diagnosed with cancer, and that we were expecting our first daughter Jill. There were many times that year, and many more times since then, that I've asked the Lord, "Why?" Elder Eyring couldn't have shared a more appropriate message for me at a more appropriate time.
Because my mom got sick there are many things that I expected to happen that didn't, but many more things that I didn't expect to happen have happened. From my mom, because of her sickness, I've learned so much about love, service, helping carry other's burdens, and letting others help me when my burdens get heavy. I've learned about my mom and her incredible ability to feel the spirit and learn from all of the experiences this life has offered her. I've learned about her trust in the Lord and about the depth of her testimony of the Savior and his atoning sacrifice for us. I've learned about her love for me and her desire for me to feel the Lord's love for me and build that same trust in him that she has built. We have had many conversations that would not have happened under different circumstances.
And I've learned to count my blessings and not get too upset when things don't go the way I expected.
But, like Dad said, even though things don't work out we still make plans, because, "when you have plans, enduring to the end is a lot more fun."
