When we were in the thick of our son's choices, and the effects it was having on the whole family, my daughter asked, "Mom, why do we have this trial? Why did we get this?" I had to stop and think about how to respond. I feel the words were given me what I should say. I responded, "Every family is given challenges...these are the cards we're dealt. Some families get the cancer card, others get the unemployment card, some get the divorce card, and yet others get the rebellious teenager card. We don't pick our cards, but we will be held accountable for how we play them."
For a few years, my other children sacrificed a peaceful home and my time and energy because of their brother. One was suffering, so we all suffered. President Hinckley has said, "Great love is built on great sacrifice, and that home where the principle of sacrifice for the welfare of each other is daily expressed is that home where there abides a great love." We weren't always happy about the sacrifice, but we grew from it. We learned first hand that it is in struggles that relationships are fired and polished and strengthened. I'm grateful my other children grew from these experiences, and they grew closer together because of them.
The Savior was the ultimate example of sacrifice because He gave his life for us. I love to think of the way He lived his life while here. The Savior taught in beautiful parables.
For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
When we chose to send him to a residential treatment facility, I had to sacrifice having him in our home for the welfare of the other family members. It was the right thing to do at the time. President Hinckley also said, "The cause of most of man's unhappiness is sacrificing what he wants most for what he wants now." You see, we had to give up our day to day interaction and counseling of our son, to have the chance to have him choose to be part of our eternal family. That's what our hope was and is – to have an eternal family where we can live forever in never ending happiness – to have eternal life with God. This story isn't written yet, we are just in a difficult chapter.
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