Created in the Image of God
I am so grateful to know that our Heavenly Father has a body like mine and that I am created in His image. I am grateful for the gift of ten fingers, ten toes, my heart, lungs, and eyes! I am grateful for the miracle of life! I love the talk given by Elder (President to me) Lawrence Corbridge titled Stand Forever. He said:
"While it is understandable that we may be challenged by the extraordinary, we shouldn’t be, because ordinary things are actually far more phenomenal.
The most phenomenal occurrences of all time and eternity—the most amazing wonders, the most astounding, awesome developments—are the most common and widely recognized They include: I am; you are; we are; and all that we perceive exists as well, from subatomic particles to the farthest reaches of the cosmos and everything in between... The healing of the withered hand is not nearly as amazing as the existence of the hand in the first place. If it exists, it follows that it can certainly be fixed when it is broken. The greater event is not in its healing but in its creation."
I love that the most outstanding of all is the creation of male and female. The opportunity to be on this earth, to learn and grow, to fall and get back up again. I love that we each have a special purpose on this earth. I love being a woman! I love being a mom! I am sorry for those who are confused, lost, without purpose or direction. We each need to find our purpose. Our guiding star. Certainly our gender, our talents, our abilities are given to us to shape that purpose!
My husband jokes often that he would run if he ever saw anyone running who sincerely looked like they were happy! He reasons that he shouldn't run because it doesn't really make for happy people. YES it does! I smile while I run, even when I think no one is looking, in large part because I am so grateful that I can!
I hope that I live my life as a happily married wife, mom and grandma smiling all the time! Showing the world the joy of being a woman, wife, mother, and grandma! What a blessing these gender-related blessings are!
As a mom to grown-up kids, I appreciated the response in the LDS Living article about Uncle Tom:
"The most important lesson your kids will learn from the way that our family treats their Uncle Tom is that nothing they can ever do will take them outside the circle of our family’s love.’ That set the tone for everything that happened in our family after that—we were going to love and enjoy each other wherever anybody was in their journey, and we were going to be loyal and united as a family. [My parents] couldn’t give up on either the Church or their child because each one was essential to the other. The Church gave meaning to their understanding of family, and the family fulfilled their understanding of the gospel, so they were unwilling to let either go.” (https://www.ldsliving.com/One-Gay-Man-s-Powerful-Journey-Away-from-the-Church-and-Back-Again/s/86366)
I hope my family knows that this is my desire! I want to love and enjoy each other wherever we are on our journey, recognizing that we are all at different points along the path! My job is to be the greatest cheerleader, the biggest fan, the nurturer who is there to help, lend a hand, and offer hugs!
I testify that our Heavenly Father sends us specific blessings and challenges for each of us! He knows our abilities and our struggles. He is carefully watching over, sending miracles just in time to help us on our way! I know I have purpose and meaning in my life. I hope I can fulfill the purpose He hopes I will while on this earth!