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TheDiscipleMD

If you have ever met that person who seems to be happy all the time, one whose constant traveling companion is a smile, you might think they can’t be for real…but for some it can! At least I know it is for my sister. Always bright, ever cheery, welcoming and warm; her life is not devoid of heartache and problems; she just chooses to look for the good that the Lord has given her. That might make some people jealous, or maybe even skeptical. I think it makes my sister a good person and one who chooses to bless the lives of others, as would Christ, with a little sunshine!

All of us descend into the “depths of hell” from time to time and certainly we can all feel sorry for the ways things “might have been” when it comes to our lives, or that of our families. But the true test of our character is how we go about our daily lives when those dreary days fall upon. What I love about my sister, is that she “chooses” to be bright. She chooses to be that “light on the hill” that cannot be hid. (Matt. 5:14) I know she must have moments of sorrow and despair, as we all do, but I think she has faith in the Lord, and in the plan of happiness as designed by our loving Father, which elevates her out of the common quagmire of sorrow. True faith in the eternal nature of families can lift and inspire us to overcome the world. I think that is what I most admire about my sister. She has internalized the council of Dieter Uchtdorf who taught us to “lift where we stand!”

So to you my older sister, I am ever grateful that I can always go to someone who lifts me to a higher state of mind, and who is a builder of people. You have been crowed a queen by the world long ago, but in my mind, that crown pales in comparison to the eternal reward that awaits those like you, who brighten the lives of their fellowman and bring joy and happiness into this lone and dreary world! May this day “rain smiles” on you (as you do for others) and flood your heart with joy for all the happiness you have given to others.

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TheDiscipleMD

I immediately liked him, even when he was just a name written in a letter to me. That’s how I first heard of him. My baby sister had pledged to me when I left for my church mission to Argentina, that she wouldn’t get married till I returned. But within six months a letter arrived telling me she was dating a guy and that they were getting serious. Not too long afterward she let me know that she was getting married before I would be returning home. I figured that she had to have met a pretty special guy if she was going to break her word to me. When I got back from Argentina in July of 1977, I got to meet the man she had chosen. And he didn’t disappoint! I don’t know exactly why he was naturally likeable. He just was! He seemed to always be smiling, joking, always with warmth.

Over the years he always showed kindness both to me and to my family. And over all these years I can never recall being mad at him. My sister had made a wise choice! He was a great husband and father to their kids. I don’t know why bad things happen to such good people. I know it is part of the plan but somehow, his sudden death years ago still stings!

I was talking with my wife the other night. We talked about life and its meaning; its fragileness! One minute things are going well, and the next, well….. ! I cannot imagine going through life without her by my side. Yet, I know it is a fact that she or I will have to walk that road, alone, someday. I am always in hopes that it will be later than sooner, but it is something I have very little control of. I can only control my response to it! I have great faith that life is eternal, that my marriage, as well as my siblings marriages can also be eternal.

My brother-in-law lived a life of service and devotion to the building up of the kingdom of God, and of loving and supporting his family. He lacked nothing when it came to caring for people! I think it is evident from how people speak of him, that they loved and cared about him. I feel fortunate to have visited him and my sister just a couple of weeks before he died. I spent one evening, late, talking with him and my sister. He spoke positively about his kids, others, and about life in general. He was not much for complaining. My sister and I droned on, talking about childhood memories. Memories that, I’m sure, he has heard over and over and over. He listened and smiled till his eyes became heavy, then his breathing. I looked over at him, peacefully sleeping on the couch. He slept there for some time as my sister and I kept talking. Finally he awoke, smiled at us and excused himself to bed. It’s not that I see that interaction as so “amazing.” It was the consistency of his “demeanor” through the years that was “amazingly” special. He was a constant calm in the midst of the storms of life!

I am grateful to have known him. It has been over a decade since he passed to the other side. I pray his children will always remember that their father was a man of God. It was the belief he held in eternal life, eternal marriage, and eternal families that gave him the calm to weather the storms of this life, even to the end. It is the promises of the Lord that make men of God calm. For they know who is at the helm, and who is guiding their lives toward the great horizon.