Grateful Friday

The other day I drove past The Purple Turtle and I thought, it was about this time last year that Braeden had his surgery.  The Purple Turtle always reminds me of sitting in the parking lot there talking to Rebecca Justesen on the phone while she was at the hospital with Braeden.  I looked back on my blog, which is in every way my journal and personal history.  Yep, about a year ago.

Rereading that post brought back all the memories of anxiety but mostly made me really really grateful.  I'm grateful Braeden got to serve and finish his mission.  I'm grateful for the amazingly kind people who took care of him.  I'm grateful for the bizarre experience of him coming home, twice.  It was great to see him and I think upped the empathy around here for missionaries that return home early.  I'm grateful he healed from all his ailments.

I'm grateful this year is here instead of last year.

I've learned things about adversity in the past few years.  I wouldn't want to relive that time or wish it on anyone but I'm so grateful for all the times that rotten things have turned me and the people I love to the Lord for comfort and peace and lifelines.

Without troubles, the Atonement of Jesus Christ would be a theory.  It would be something we learn about and that sounds good.  When we are in the midst of things that feel out of our control and out of our scope for help and healing, that is when we test the theory.  That is when we fall to our knees and just plead for help.

That is when the help comes.  It may not magically repair everything, but we are given the strength to go just a little further.  We can keep trying.  We feel buoyed in unmistakeable but hard to explain ways.

I am grateful.

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Here's one more thing to be grateful for:  Mark's backpack was found!  We prayed it would be and it was!  Hurray!