Broken Things

Within the past month, we've had a lot of broken things around here. . .

Broken window, broken light fixture, broken faucet, broken outside outlet. . .

Broken glasses. . .

This pair is Greta's--and it's her back up pair so we were in a bit of a pinch for a while. It's such a long story so an entire post just about this will hopefully be forthcoming. (We've also had a few issues with Tessa's too. . . )

Broken van. . .

Tom ran into a guy's trailer hitch (while on the freeway)--- thankfully it didn't do any damage to the guy's truck, but because the hitch went right into our transmission and radiator, it totaled the van--not hard to do when you drive such classics as us! However, it's hard to buy a new van when the brains behind that task is off at scout camp or spending time in the hospital. . . so we've been making due with Tom's truck the past few weeks. (Two people working, cross country practice twice a day, three kids in swimming makes things a bit taxing for the driver. . . but what else should I expect with a family of seven.)

Broken heart. . .

Sort of. We spent a few days this past week in the cardiac unit of UVRMC determining that Tom has a virus that is making his heart act like it needs a pace maker. . .more on that later too, I suppose. . .

Although not 'broken', also within the last month Tessa has come up missing on two different occasions for about 40 minutes. One of those times she had Greta half way to a park that is a half mile walking distance from our house. When I finally found them, Greta was in the middle of the road with a car patiently waiting for her to move. The other time, she was hiding under our bathroom sink. We had checked the whole house and all of her usual hiding spots three times but because of the previous episode we concluded that she was out of the house. We had many in the neighborhood also looking with us before we found her. (I had the feeling to send Cache back to look and she had moved from the bathroom to behind the couch so it was an easy find. So thankful for that prompting.)

All of these broken things have got me thinking about the title of this talk: Broken Things to Mend, by Jeffrey R. Holland. So I read it today. This stood out to me:

I testify that the Savior’s Atonement lifts from us not only the burden of our sins but also the burden of our disappointments and sorrows, our heartaches and our despair. ¹⁴ From the beginning, trust in such help was to give us both a reason and a way to improve, an incentive to lay down our burdens and take up our salvation. There can and will be plenty of difficulties in life. Nevertheless, the soul that comes unto Christ, who knows His voice and strives to do as He did, finds a strength, as the hymn says, “beyond [his] own.” ¹⁵ The Savior reminds us that He has “graven [us] upon the palms of [His] hands.” ¹⁶Considering the incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion and Atonement, I promise you He is not going to turn His back on us now. When He says to the poor in spirit, “Come unto me,” He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up. He knows it because He has walked it. He knows the way because He is the way.

In the big picture, these broken things in our lives are trivial and fairly easy to mend. They really are not that important as long as we keep our sights on the true mender and healer. This adventure in mortality is strengthening our spirits and preparing us for greater things! I'm thankful!