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| An Oregon sunset from my balcony which I shall forever miss ~ as much as I love Salt Lake City! |
“No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character. He is an unchangeable being; the same yesterday, the same today, and He will be the same throughout the eternal ages to come. We have found that God. We have made Him our friend, by obeying His Gospel; and He will stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments” (President George Q. Cannon “Remarks,” Deseret Evening News, Mar. 7, 1891, 4)
"He cannot do it."
This is pretty profound. With my six children, if one of them is suffering ~ even if all I have to offer is an arm around their shoulders and to hold them close...I am there.
How many times have we done just that?
Most of us couldn't possibly desert our own children in their hour of sorest need. So it resonates in our best place of deeper understanding, Heavenly Father (whose parental instincts and capacity to love are far greater) would also not disappear.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
Yet sometimes it certainly feels like the heavens are closed and far away.
Why does it seem so unlikely that hard and anguished times still point to an interested and caring God?
"Why did God let that happen to me? "If He were a real and loving God, those things wouldn't happen"!
I've both heard and asked these questions many, many times.
It seems hard to feel cherished and close to God during such brutal moments. Maybe because our mortal perspectives have a hard time seeing the bigger picture.
Thankfully, President Cannon frames the essential opportunity afflictions bring:
"We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments..."
Sometimes it is so terrifically hard to stand back and let my children go up their learning curves. My impulse to jump in and save the day are a force to be reckoned with. Yet as they become older and even adults ~ my best parenting skills and better sense take over and I know I have to literally grit my teeth and stand back. Or I will disturb their learning curve and clobber the benefit, the progress and the stature they would gain on their own.
And that can be painful. So I imagine sometimes our antics are painful for Heavenly Father too?
Enoch tells us in Moses 7 Heavenly Father weeps for us:
28 And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept; and Enoch bore record of it, saying: How is it that the heavens weep, and shed forth their tears as the rain upon the mountains?
32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;
33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;
"...misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer? (Moses 7:28-37)
Heavenly Father actually notices and yearns for us. I believe someday we will see such love and care up close, and understand it was always lit up brightly for us. We're the ones who create the distance we feel, maybe not purposefully, but God's love is our discovery to make.
One of the greatest secrets of the Universe is His tender mercies are always present. It takes practice and skill to identify them and be gracious about them. I've certainly had periods in my life where I couldn't perceive one and would swear they weren't there.
Sometimes now, when I fully comprehend those individually-tailored tender mercies ~ they are overwhelming. It brings tears to contemplate such a superior, supreme Being who has no great need of me ~ is still so invested in me. How did I get so lucky to be a part of His realm?
Some of the tender mercies I understand in my innermost heart shrine may never find adequate words to frame them, while on earth.
Here is one point I understand and can bear witness to ~ Heavenly Father is the true and living God. True, in part, because He is dedicated and true to you~ and living because He is proactive in the here and now. Right this very now in our reality.
May you have that peace and strength which passes all mortal understanding (and logic and political correctness).
Timshel.