The Sacrament, a Celebration

                  It was a tradition in our home every year at Christmas to read a story called “Christmas Every Day.”  It’s the story of a selfish young girl who loved Christmas so much that she begged the fairies to make it Christmas every day.  At first it was wonderful, but as the days, then weeks, then months went by, her dream became a nightmare.  Every day waking to new stockings, full of candy on which to make one ill.  Gifts kept coming and coming, so many that people hurled them across the room, and filled attics and barns with them.  People became poor for all the shopping, except the storekeepers who became very rich.  Having turkey dinner every day, with leftovers piling up, going hoarse from all the caroling, going to bed too late, and waking up cross-- all made a special day not so special anymore.

                Another holiday we love is Easter.  Like Christmas, we celebrate it once a year.  It also has special songs, and food, gifts given and received, and cause for rejoicing in our Savior Jesus Christ.

                Once a year may not be enough; every day may make celebrations mundane and commonplace.  But once a week we can remember these things in a calmer, more serene way as we participate in the ordinance of the Sacrament. It is a time to remember, to commemorate, to celebrate that Christ came to earth, to live and give his life for us.  We gather together as family and friends.  We sing special songs.  We give gifts, our gifts of a broken heart, a contrite spirit, repentance and obedience.  We receive gifts of mercy, forgiveness, healing and hope.  We eat special food, sacred and blessed, as we partake of the bread and water or wine, as we remember the Living Water and the Living Bread.  We are surrounded by love: God’s love for us, and ours for Him and for our brothers and sisters.  And we have cause to Rejoice in the Glad Tidings:  that Jesus has come! That He yet lives! That He brings to us Salvation, and Peace, and Joy.  

                On December 25^th, and on Easter, and every Sabbath Day 

we can celebrate and be glad--

we can gather and sing and eat, and have Hope. 

Thanks be to God for His Infinite, Unspeakable gift!

               

2020 Vision

I have a problem with my right eye.
I've been getting shots in my eye for over a year.
At last I had laser surgery on my eye.

I used to have a dark gray cloud covering my vision; now I have a light gray one.
I see better, but my vision is still impaired.

At my last eye exam, they covered my bad eye with a paddle, like a wooden spoon, but this time it wasn't solid but it had holes in it--to refract light. This time, once my eyes focused, I could see perfectly!

Paul taught that we see through a glass darkly.  I know just what that feels like with my physical eyes.  But what about our spiritual eyes?

We once lived as spirit children with our perfect and exalted Parents.  I believe we could see clearly then.  Mortality has covered our vision with a dark cloud, a veil of forgetfulness, a body of clay, with subtlety, carnality and enmity. 

But when light shines on us, we can see more clearly.
Jesus is that Light, the Light of the World, the light that is in and through all things He has created.
Through the Light of Christ given to all men, our vision is clearer.
Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we see even more clearly.
When we align ourselves with the truth and light in time and space, our vision is even better.

Through faith, prayer, study and obedience, we can refract His light to shine more brightly in us, to help us see more clearly eternal truth.

The Great Physician can heal our blindness and give us sight.

My eyes -- and our spiritual eyes -- are capable of perfect vision.
We just need to clear the clouds.



That which is of God is light;
and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; 
and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."  D&C 50:24