I recently had a conversation with a friend about the comprehensive impact of the atonement of Jesus Christ. It made me reflect on times where I have experienced that grace in different capacities. I remembered that when I was a teenager, I set a goal to never let the hard experiences that I went though make me jaded (desensitized). This goal has proven much harder than my 14-year-old self thought it would be, but I've learned a lot from trying to keep it, particularly about forgiveness, repentance, and having the strength to push through hard things. All of these acts have required healing and help from my Savior. I am so grateful to know that I can be made better through his grace. Here is a sketch of what the process of tapping into that help normally looks like for me. Atonement Heartache makes me sadder, then wiser, and eventually more afraid. Parts of me become untouchable…buried beneath deep masonry. I try to uproot the pain...
Thirteen years ago, I remember lying awake, early one Christmas morning at my grandparents’ house in Mesa. Years prior I anxiously waited for parents, uncles, aunts, and grandparents to wake up….this was a prerequisite to diving into the pile of presents that waited upstairs. This year was different. Sure, I was excited about openings gifts, but my thoughts lingered on the sacred words sung and spoken by family members the night before—I thought about how I felt. I was overcome by emotion, and Christmas became something more miraculous and meaningful. This year, Christmas was again an expanding experience for me. There were still presents, scriptures, carols, and traditions, but there was also a lot about this holiday season that was either new or unusual. 1. I have a husband, and although it was our third Christmas together, it was his first Christmas away from his family excluding years on his mission. 2. ...
