Trials, Angels, & Miracles! Feb 2012

Our family watched the wonderful movie, "17 Miracles" a month or two ago for family night and Andy and I were amazed at how much our children wanted to watch it AGAIN! I told them that maybe we should purchase it for Andy's birthday, but they wanted it sooner and they suggested Valentine's Day! So, along with their traditional treat at the door and the funny dancing and singing dog that sings, "I feel good ... so good... I got you!", this year, they received the DVD, "17 Miracles". We ended up celebrating Valentine's a little different than I had planned, since Jesi woke up sick on Tuesday and we planned on postponing it until Wednesday, only to find out that Drew and Nathan came down with the stomach bug as well! (Apparently Kassi's being really tired last weekend and being in the bathroom a little longer than usual - though insisting that she felt just fine were the first signs of sickness in the house.) Kassi was such a trooper, I had NO IDEA what was coming. So, rather than the yummy french dip sandwiches I had in mind, we've been eating a lot of chicken noodle soup, toast, & applesauce around here.

Anyway, let's just say that watching this movie with our family really put things into perspective for me today as I was doing loads and loads of laundry, scrubbing clothing and walls and bathrooms, etc. etc. The horrific trials that the pioneers faced, especially those who had no other choice than to go in the lateness of the season by handcart or starve to death waiting for spring, are so inspiring to me. The miracles that occurred in the movie are true accounts of God's hand in the lives of His children and were reminders to us of the miracles that occur all around us, every day!

There really are angels around us both mortal and immortal and I am so grateful to each and every one of them/you!!! I was so excited to go to education week this year, thanks to Andy (my ever present angel) and a sweet neighbor (another one of my angels) who traded children with me in the morning/afternoon. During one class, I felt impressed to walk around the upper floor of the BYU Bookstore, where various artists were displaying their work. I felt so close to my father (who loved art work & history) as I slowly took in the beauty and magnificence of all of the different artists' depictions of the Savior, the temple, the beauties of the earth, and particularly on a set of paintings of the pioneers. The artist is Julie Rogers and her website is Tellmystorytoo.com I loved that she felt inspired to share the stories of these incredible pioneers with her amazing talent. I finally decided to purchase a few small prints as thank you's to my husband and kiddos for letting me gain so much insight and strength that week at education week. It wasn't exactly the perfect family home evening when I presented the paintings and told them the stories behind them, but I hope that as they grow, they will come to love these paintings and the stories behind them as I have.

The picture on the far left is a depiction of Stephen Wells Taylor who, a few years after immigrating from England to Nauvoo, was orphaned at the age of 6. He was a member of the rescue party sent from Salt Lake to save the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. He, along with other young men, spent nearly all day in the bone-chilling, icy water helping carry people to the other side of the river to safety. A co-captain of the Willie handcart company said, "More welcome messengers never came from the courts of glory than these ... young men were to us."

The middle picture is a depiction of George Padley carrying his fiance, Sarah Ann Franks across the icy river. Their sweet love story is heart-breaking. They were to be married when they reached Zion. Sarah became very ill and it is believed that George shared his meager rations and went without in order for her for her to recover and have the strength she needed to complete the trek. Two weeks before he died, he had been one of those carrying other weak, hungry, freezing men, women and children across the river. He is believed to have died of hypothermia from over exerting himself in an attempt to help others and also suffered from starvation and pneumonia. He gave his all. Sarah, heart broken, "took her long-fringed shawl from her own near-frozen body and had the brethren wrap George's body in it. She couldn't bear to think of his being laid in the ice covering the ground of the Cove with nothing to protect him. She especially couldn't bear to have the wolves ravish his lifeless body. Therefore, George's body was hung from a tree in Martin's Cove.

The picture on the right is of a young girl whose mother had been promised that she would make it to Zion with ALL of her children. This miraculously came to pass. Sarah was only 19 years old and 5 feet tall, but on their last crossing of the North Platte River, when winter had come on strong and hard, "Sarah Ann made 32 trips across the swiftly running river, carrying sixteen people to safety on her back. She was only about five feet tall herself. The next day, between 13-18 people died, some being those who had spent their last strength carrying others across this river. Sarah told how the icicles jingled from her wet skirts and mud froze to her feet. The rescuers came 9 days later, bringing hope to these starving Saints. Sarah would meet one particular rescuer, Franklin Standley, who would soon become her husband.

While these stories are hard to read, watch, & hear, I am so inspired by the faith of these pioneers who knew where they were supposed to be and would give their ALL to get there. I am inspired by the miracles that took place and the fact that despite their hardships, not many more lives were lost than most of the other western migrating groups. I am inspired by the fact that there is opposition in all things for a reason. One of my favorite quotes is from a member of the Martin Handcart Company: "Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company."

I am grateful to know so many modern pioneers and to know these stories to inspire me to sacrifice a little more, carry those around me when needed, and be willing to be carried when I am weak. Life is hard. Trials come. But, we hopefully we have the same hope that these pioneer brothers and sisters had inside of us. It will carry us through if we let it! I mentioned in my last post that I really feel like I need to finally follow the advice I was given many years ago to write in my journal/on my blog daily. All I know is that supposedly my thoughts will help strengthen those I leave behind. Since I'm a worrier, I can't read into that too much. But, I am finally excited to stop beating myself up for not following that advice. I know I tend to blab on and on and on. But, I hope that some of these thoughts will be helpful (therapeutic for me & occasionally inspiring to my family and friends).

I know so many women who, like little 5 foot tall Sarah Haigh, help to carry those around them. I know so many couples who live their lives sacrificing for the comfort of their spouse and children. And, I know many who follow the voice of the prophet and the Spirit and rescue those around them when called upon. Some of these rescuers and heroes include my husband, my parents and grandparents, my siblings, my children, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my ancestors, my leaders, my neighbors, and my friends. I feel so blessed to be inspired by all of you and thank you for your examples and love and perseverance. We really can "do hard things" and we can do it together!

I also wanted to share this picture. I was so surprised Christmas morning to find the top picture frame filled with my children holding the letters to the word, "L-O-V-E". What an amazing gift! I want to thank my sis-in-law Cari (another one of my angels) for taking these sweet pictures on a crazy day when she offered to babysit for me while I did some last minute Christmas shopping (which ended up only being an hour because of the hectic day & I didn't realize that would be not so helpful for her). So, I had NO CLUE that she was doing this. But, I thank her and Andy for helping to keep it a wonderful surprise and I am so grateful to these sweet kiddos who believe with all their heart in the power of miracles. Each of them is a testimony of miracles to me and what they do to my heart is a miracle as well. Their faith and their strength is so inspiring to me and I had to display these pictures with the picture of the temple that Andy gave me for Christmas because I LOVE these sweet kiddos and I LOVE that we can be together forever if, like the pioneers, we follow the Savior and endure to the end, through whatever trials may come our way!