Gracie is Home....

Because of complications from getting her new heart, little Gracie Girl who was 11 months old, has passed away. I think the Lord needed her back home way back in the beginning but because of the prayers and faith excercised, He allowed her to stay a little while longer. Her body was worn out..she suffered a great deal. The principle of "Families being together Forever" seems almost tangible.

After being in the temple last week, there were 2 things that penetrated my soul.
#1 There is nothing more important than the work of the Lord on the other side of the veil. I believe that those spirits that have passed are very actively engaged in preparing the earth for the second coming of the Lord.
#2 There is nothing more important than the work of the Lord here on the earth.

Aside from those 2 things, nothing else matters, really nothing. Having that experience has helped me to have a more eternal perspective. Really, it won't be long before Gracie's parents will be able to see her again and our heartache and trials of this life will be over.

Gracie's mother posted some thoughts by Elder Holland, Quoroum of the 12 Apostles, on facing adversity and trials.
1. The first, he said, "is that everyone, including (and perhaps especially) the righteous, will be called upon to face trying times." Elder Holland said: "Whenever these moments of our extremity come, we must not succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us.....We must continue to believe, continue to have faith, continue to pray and plead with heaven even if we feel for a time our prayers are not heard and that God has somehow gone away. He is there. Our prayers are heard, and when we weep, He and the angels of heaven weep with us.......

"When suffering, we may in fact be nearer to God than we have ever been in our entire lives."

2. The second lesson, according to Elder Holland, is that we are not alone in going through trials. "We need to realize that just because difficult things happen--sometimes unfair and seemingly unjustified things--it does not mean that we are unrighteous or that we are unworthy of blessings or that God is disappointed with us," Elder Holland said. "Of course sinfulness does bring suffering and the only answer to that behavior is repentance. But sometimes suffering comes to the righteous, too."

Everyone will have their share of adversity..that is why we are here on earth. It is all in how we deal with what's given to us. It makes me want to work harder....