Opposition In All Things

I woke up this morning at 3:30 AM  bright eyed and busy-tailed (not sure what bushy-tailed really means...) Anyway, my mind was racing so I decided not to fight it and just get up, read and hang out on the computer.

Normally, I am an early riser and find that some of my best moments are in the wee hours of the morning, but this 3:30 thing is ridiculous...5:30 is do-able. My mind seems to be clearer and I retain what I read. Sometimes I get caught up on my TiVo'd shows. But to be so wide awake at 3:30 is unusual and worries me because I have a full day ahead.

I am teaching my adorable 10 year olds today at church. They are amazing little people who are well versed in gospel principles and truly, I learn from them each week. They are strong little souls who have thriving testimonies of Jesus Christ, His teachings and the Plan of Salvation...I'm ALWAYS amazed at their insights. I've prepared my lesson, complete with a plethora of hand-outs, posters and pictures. My lesson is on the Sermon on the Mount so there's LOTS to talk about! Now if I can just stay awake!!

I guess my mind is racing because of the events of the past few weeks. You all know about my precious *Littles* who were struggling with pneumonia, RSV and that wicked kidney infection, but what you don't know is that at the very same time that we were dealing with that, a lovely man in our ward was struggling with his very life as he lay in the hospital stricken with Septic Shock.

Chad was a 37 year old cancer survivor with a lovely wife and two beautiful children, ages 8 & 9. After 12 years of struggling with the hideous big "C", his wife, Michelle, awoke in the wee hours of Valentine's Day morning to find him in the bathtub. He was literally purple. She was terrified and ran to the basement apartment where her in-laws lived, grabbed her father-in-law and called 911. Chad was life-flighted to a hospital in SLC where he stayed for nearly 2 weeks. His kidneys had failed and he was diagnosed with the Septic Shock.

His parents live in the basement of his house and his sister, Colleen and her family live next door. Colleen is our Relief Society president and took time out from her family crisis to come to our hospital and visit with Aja and the girls, bringing them treats and kind articles of hope and faith. She spent precious moments with our family because she is a caring, compassionate woman who thinks of others first. I was so touched and will never forget her selfless concern for our well-being.

Our ward is amazing! We held a ward fast for Chad and we all prayed for a miracle, knowing that that was the ONLY way he could pull through this ordeal. We received our miracle, but it wasn't the one that WE wanted. Chad was released from his pain and suffering on Feb 25th. His funeral was yesterday and it was beautiful. The words of comfort and hope were awe inspiring. The masses of family and friends was overwhelming and the spirit of peace was evident as it permeated throughout the entire spirit of the meeting. His wife and children are devastated and numb. But they are strong and have so much support with so many other family members in close proximity. They are a good family with strong ties. They will survive!

So as I have been celebrating the miracles of modern medicine and have two precious granddaughters home to hug, love and adore, another family, just down the street, buried a loving husband, father, son, brother & uncle. It reminds me that in all things there must needs be opposition.

So if that is really true, then the heavy sadness and grief will eventually pass and will one day be balanced out with great joy and peace. The family spoke of the immense peace they have already felt and how grateful they are for the tender mercies of the Lord! They recognize Chad's passing as a miracle because his quality of life, if he had survived, would have been minimal at best. I know that God is merciful and that He does take away our pains and agonies. I am so thankful for all of the tender mercies in my life and will forever be grateful!