Christmas 2012

I've never had a two week period go so quickly in my life! 

It's almost a blur, but it was a glorious blur. 

Many of those days I was privileged to hold joy in my arms. 

I breathed in pure love and sweet innocence 

and felt on my cheek the silky strands of hope. 

I came away from this Christmas season full of faith in our future. 

A brightness of hope for the upcoming new year.

I think I'm getting a little glimpse of the insight that age and experience brings. 

(I must be getting old)

As I held and played with my grandchildren I understood the full circle. 

I had once held my children in a similar fashion. 

And then watched them grow and change, face challenges and sorrow... and joy. 

I witnesses and experienced the parents of these little ones becoming adults

 and watched them step into the shoes I once filled as a young parent.  

Interacting with these little ones I felt of their goodness, watched them making sense of the world,

 looking to those around them to be reassured that they were safe and loved. 

And strangely, it was easy for me to imagine them as teenagers and adults.

Today their view of the world is so simple and basic but also so accurate. 

Their parents have and are building a strong foundation for them in these formative years. 

A foundation that will carry them through the rest of their lives. 

It won't be long before they are spending more time in the world than at home. 

While the world can be a wonderful place, there is also much out there that will test and try them and cause them to wonder if they are cool enough, smart enough or good enough... and it seems the challenges they will face are only getting more intense.

But many, many years ago a pure innocent child was born to a virgin in a stable far away.

This child was loved and nurtured and taught by his parents who he really was. 

He lived a perfect life. 

He was willing to submit and be obedient to Gods will. 

Even though the world mocked and scourged him, he knew deep down who he was and what his mission on this Earth was, and he did not stray from it. 

Because He did this there is hope for all of us.

Because of this child born in Bethlehem we can be reassured that,

"God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. Nor will he, so long as time shall last or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man or woman or child upon the face thereof to be saved"*

In this I feel immense gratitude and joy and hope.

I hope that I can always be part of that solid foundation that will help steady these children when the storms of life come... because they most surely will.

But they will be able to overcome because of the Savior.

*quote taken from Jeffery R. Holland. Read it all here