NieNie and Me
For several days, I've been following the story of a young LDS couple from Arizona, Stephanie & Christian Nielson. They were in a private plane accident several weeks ago and both sustained severe burns to their bodies. (For more information, check here and here.) Their story, and their lives have deeply touched mine this week as I ponder their situation, and pray for them, and watch in wonder as their family picks up the pieces of horror, and turn them into something marvelous and inspiringly beautiful.
In turning my thoughts to their situation, I've thought a lot about the scripture posted above, found in Isaiah. As he teaches of the Atonement, Isaiah indicates that the Savior gives "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning..." How can words begin to capture the immense gratitude I feel when I ponder the power of His eternal atonement in my mortal life? And yet, impossible as it is to understand, I know the transforming power of His atonement. I have felt it in my life. I have seen Him turn my sorrow, my ashes, my mourning into joy and praise and...beauty.
Elder Bruce C. Hafen quite eloquently testifies of this principle:
Do you think that you're too much of a weakling to access this power? Do you sometimes think your problems are too little--or too big--to hand them over to the Lord? Do you wonder if the Savior of the WHOLE WORLD could actually be aware of you? For those of us who wonder, who worry, who ask why me?, Isaiah boldly declares:
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
He is there. The Savior of the World is there for you. He is there for me. He is aware. He is waiting. He is wonderful.
May we invite Him into our ashes, and discover...beauty.
Music for this Message: Welcome Home by Shaun Goves
~Sister McLay
2 comments:
This is just what I needed to hear. Thank you so much, you both are WONDERFUL! :)
I lost 10 friends and acquaintances in a plane crash 3 weeks ago. This scripture really does summarize the lessons we all learned from the situation.
Sometimes we don't understand, we just need to trust. If He is creator of all, and he keeps this earth spinning and the flowers blooming and birds singing, can't he heal our hearts and know the timing for all things?
It can be hard, but the lessons learned are worth it.
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