Empathy

Rich and I went to a funeral for a young man in our ward. His name was Ben Harper and Rich was one of his advisers in the Priest Quorum a few years ago. I have to admit that funerals are not my favorite things to attend, but after I go I'm always glad. The spirit is so strong and it is a spiritual experience for me. Yesterday as I sat and listened to the words of the Bishop and Stake President, (who just happens to be my brother), I came away with a new sense of what I need to be doing to better my life. The Bishop said," the Lord doesn't expect perfection, he just wants our hearts." At times I get discouraged when I think of all the things I'm not doing, but hopefully he knows my heart and understands my shortcomings. Lennie talked about the "Plan of Happiness" and that sometimes it doesn't seem so happy. It brought me back to that awful day in July when our darling granddaughter Kamber passed away. It was by far the hardest trial I have had in my life, but at the same time the most spiritual. The closeness we felt as a family and the love we felt from our ward members, extended family and friends was overwhelming. We know how hard the next few months and even years are going to be for them, but we have hope that the days ahead will bring them peace and understanding. We have a little more understanding of how they feel because we have been there and are still grieving.