A Lesson I Learned from Death.

Last year was a tough year for me.

 My beloved Mother in law passed away at the end of June.  3 months later my dad passed away.  3 months after that my brother passed away on Christmas Eve.   I knew the number 3 was important.  3 people, 3 months apart.  Mother, Father, and son.  There was clearly a lesson in it for me.  In Hebrew numerology the number 3 is all about the atonement.  Just look at the 3rd article of faith.

"We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel."

The number one is all about God.  The beginning, the point.  Then the number 2 introduces the fall.  It creates a line between 2 points.  We fall away from God.

Then we see the number 3.  The number 3 is strength and power and the atonement which helps us to return back to God.

I wish I could tell you all the lessons I learned during this difficult time.  They are sacred and lovely and I am so grateful.  I do want to tell you a story that my dad told.  This story became extremely important to me as I went through this period of healing.  It helped me to continue to get out of bed every day when all I wanted to do was stay in bed for all of the grief and loss I felt so deeply.

My dad worked in the Indian Placement Program for several years when we were growing up.  Because of this he had many opportunities to visit the reservations.  He loved the Native American people.  On one such occasion, he visited the Havasupai tribe in Arizona.  To get to the reservation, it required a hike down a canyon.  He was wearing polyester suit pants and the hot conditions did not make for a very comfortable hike down.  His pants had rubbed the insides of his legs raw.  After spending a good part of a day with the people, he decided he better begin the hike back up the canyon in order to make a meeting he had the following morning.

As he began his way back up, all of his fears came flooding toward him.  It was beginning to get dark, there were wild animals, his legs were raw, and he had a long way to go.  He decided to stop and pray.  As he was praying he heard a voice say, "Take a bath."  He looked up and saw a little pool of water.  He removed his clothes and bathed all of the sweat and dirt off of him.  After his bath, he looked up and saw a bend in the canyon.  The voice continued, "Walk until you reach the bend and then sit down and rest."  It didn't take him long to figure out that this was his answer.  He would make a small portion of the journey, sit down, rest, and repeat, all the way out of the canyon.  Following this pattern, my wonderful father was able to make it out of the canyon that night and make his meeting in the morning.

Upon my dad's passing I didn't know how I was going to keep going.  All of the burdens on my plate felt huge and monumental.  It was too heavy.  I felt him beside me during this time reteaching me this lesson.  I made small goals for myself every week and pretty soon I was able to continue as I had previously.  3 months later when my brother passed, the lesson was repeated.  I have felt such a strength from having so many loved ones on the other side, guiding and helping me.  Most of all, I am grateful for my Savior.  He who made the path back to Father alone.  He who loves me, succors me, and shows me the way to return.  All I have to do is listen to promptings, repent as needed, and come unto Him.

Matt. 11:28-30
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."