As I think about ending last year and beginning a new year, the phrase I keep coming to is, “good riddance!!” Today in church we sang a song that we sing every new year. I actually have never liked it because it sounds darker. I realized today it was written by Alfred Tennyson, interestingly. The words read, “the year is dying in the night…let him die.” This year, I kind of liked the song. I am so ready for last year to die and so excited for not only a fresh year, but a fresh decade full of possibility and hope.
Even though thinking good riddance is my almost flippant feeling, I have to admit that while 2019 was the worst year of my life, it was also pretty amazing. My kids and I have experienced miracles that we will always remember and have been served in ways that we could never express enough gratitude for. My testimony of my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ have grown immensely. The kids have shared experiences and feelings with me that show that their testimonies have grown too.
Aside from the great experiences we have had while working through my divorce, we have had some other great things happen in the course of life. My daughter joined an amazing choir that has been such a blessing not only to her, but me as well as I have helped her, listened to rehearsals and performances, and volunteered. My son’s soccer team advanced and has found success and been so fun. I have been able to have some great moments with my other son as well as he grows and matures. We took a great trip over the summer that we really needed. We added a fabulous dog to our family.
I have decided that my new motto for now is trust and patience. While we had many great experiences last year that have forever shaped me, I am ready to move on. I know that there is a plan in place for me. And while I want it right now, I know Heavenly Father knows what is best for me, my family and my overall life and eternal progression. So, trust and patience. Trust and patience. I repeat this in my head often these days!
The other day, someone in a Facebook group I am a part of asked an interesting question. He said that we talk in our church all the time about how we are children of God and how important it is to know that we are each a child of God. But, he didn’t understand why. I really stopped to think why knowing that I am a daughter of God is important to me and how it shapes my life. I do know that all of us are spirit children of Him. I found this quote and love it:
You are a child of God. He is the father of your spirit. Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven. Fix that truth in your mind and hold on to it. However many generations in your mortal ancestry, no matter what race or people you represent, the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line. You are child of God.
Boyd K. Packer
But why do we hold onto that knowledge? First, knowing that He is our father tells us something about how He feels about us. He loves us as a father, but even greater because He is God. I have had moments in my life, and especially through the last 7 or 8 months when He has helped me feel His love for me and others. And feeling that love transforms you because it is perfect. No matter what, He loves us perfectly, better than any mortal can. So we can take to Him anything and He will be there to love us.
Next, because He loves us as our father, He wants us to be happy and successful. A lot of times we can feel like people are looking to find fault in us or see us fail. I know that has caused me to actually fail as I try to perform, or create or speak. Instead, Heavenly Father is not looking for us to fail, but looking to help us succeed. He will take our efforts and add to them. He will take our mistakes and help us grow from them. So, in all we do, we can ask Him for help and He will be there. He will guide, warn, bless and love us. When life is hard, He is there to help us through.
Because He is our perfect Father, He is a great example for us to follow. As we look to our parents to know how to act, or how to do something, we can turn to Him to know how to live our lives. The scriptures are full of examples of how He and Jesus Christ speak, act, love, serve and more. We can look to Him when we have questions about the right way to live.
One of the most important reasons to know that we are children of God is because that tells us what we can become. Because He is our spirit father, we have potential to be like Him and have all that He has. As it says in the Bible, “As if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17) That is a pretty incredible goal to work towards! It gives meaning to all we do and experience here. We need to grow and learn here so we can be like He is. We need to make choices here so that we are worthy to have what He has.
So, my focus this year is on remembering that He is my father. He loves me perfectly. I can trust Him with my concerns, desires, needs and even wants. If life is hard, I will continue to turn to Him for support, strength, help and love. I will make sure I live worthy of being as He is. And I will be patient and know that He knows the end from the beginning and it will all work out just as it should for me… or at least I will try really hard to!
Sunshine and Rainstorms 