A MOTHER'S ANGUISH

 

With Mother’s Day coming up, I am mindful of women who greet this day with broken hearts:  women who have lost children, women who have never had children, and women who have wayward children. I fall in the last category, very often wondering what I could have done better in my life to have prevented the troublesome life of my daughter.

I worried for a long time that I have not been a better parent to my children and also that my parents were not better parents to me.  I have agonised over the issues and hang ups that have followed me from my childhood and weaknesses and incorrect teachings and false thinking that have been passed down to me by my parents. 

Likewise, I have worried about all the bad 'stuff' I have passed on to my children.  I read many years ago about 'intergenerational sins' and how easily we can pass them on to generations of our posterity, seemingly innocent weaknesses and faulty thinking that somehow end up being serious stumbling blocks to someone down the line.  In other words, how we live not only affects us but many others whose lives we impact. It’s a sobering and frightening thought. This well-meaning parable of the lost sheep sears my heart:

“Twas a grown-up sheep that wandered away from the ninety and nine in the fold.

And out on the hilltops and out in the storm twas a sheep that the Good Shepherd sought,

And back to the flock and back to the fold twas a sheep that the Good Shepherd brought.

Now why should the sheep be so carefully fed and cared for still today?

Because there is danger if they go wrong, they will lead the lambs astray.

For the lambs will follow the sheep you know wherever they wander, wherever they go.

If the sheep go wrong, it will not be long till the lambs are as wrong as they.

So still with the sheep do we earnestly plead for the sake of the lambs today,

If the lambs are lost what a terrible cost some sheep will have to pay.”

-        Author Unknown, A variation of C.C. Miller’s “Parable of the Lost Sheep”

If you feel the weight of this message, know that the hope lies in the second sentence. There is someone on your side invested in your responsibility of parenthood. The Good Shepherd can feed you to rise to the greatest work you will ever do in your mortality, that of being a parent. And when you stumble, He will pay the price for your parental flaws. A close friend of mine shared with me the truth of this that has brought some peace to my heart:

“I have often thought of my parental failing in the middle of the night. One night as I was thinking of these failings I thought that one day I will have to pay for them. I wanted to pay for them but as I thought that, the Saviour’s voice came into my mind, “I have already paid for them”. Tears of comfort whenever I think of this.”  

Be comforted. Whatever the pain in your heart, the Good Shepherd will heal your wounds. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Good Shepherd by Chris Brazelton)

THE RESCUE

 

 

I am trying to stay abreast of the world news but some days hearing of such evil happenings in our day is beyond my capacity to bear. I am even struggling to view all mankind as children of God. It is beyond my comprehension how all of us were reared by perfect deity before we were born and yet in this life we cleave to incomprehensible evil and to the enemy of all righteousness.

And here is a sobering thought:

“If there had been no Atonement of Jesus Christ, there would have been a terrifying oneness – negative atonement so to speak – a living with and becoming like the Evil One. Jacob spoke the somber truth when he said we would “remain with the father of lies” and worse yet, we would “become like unto him” (2 Nephi 9:9).

“Simply stated, we would be at one with Satan…..Such a terrifying thought helps put the Atonement in perspective. Without it, all is lost. With it, all may be gained. However bleak or desperate our condition may seem, however dak and ominous the skies may appear, Mormon gave the reassuring answer: “Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ” (Moroni 7:41).”

-        Elder Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p 28

Let this sink in. The Atonement not only rescues us from our sins, our weaknesses, our pains and our sorrows; the Atonement rescues us from the Prince of This World, the Prince of All Devils, the Father of All Lies, The Liar From the Beginning, Perdition, the Son of Chaos, Satan, the very source of all evil. Imagine being at one with him and being like him…..

 

You rose above it all

Above your every earthly foe.

The Garden sprang anew

As from every drop You spilt

New flowers came into bloom.

 

Golgotha raged and tore

Your flesh without mercy;

Yet You paid Your due

For each and every rescue.

 

How pitiful the cross

That demanded You

Not knowing it sent a God

To a darkened tomb.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)

A BETTER WORLD

 

I happened to see a YouTube video recently that attempted to teach us that there are three words we should never say.

Apparently according to ‘the law of attraction’ the number one thing we should never say is, “I hope”. The self-help gurus teach that ‘hope’ lacks tangible stability and will therefore always have you chasing something that isn’t real rendering what you hope for incapable of manifesting into reality.

To me it spells this: those who teach we should invest ourselves in the law of attraction for our success, well being and survival in life, teach the techniques and wisdom of the world. I believe in the sustaining power of hope. My whole world revolves around it.

Imagine if there was no hope in the world. Would we ever stop seeing doctors if we had no hope that we would one day get better? Would we ever stop educating ourselves if we never had hope of getting a job commensurate with our level of education? Would we ever attempt to date if we had no hope that one day we will find a marriage partner? Hope propels us into action manifesting those things in life which are within our control.

 Now take this a step further to realise how this principle would destroy our faith in God for the reality of those things which are not within our control.  Would we ever stop praying because we had no hope of God’s help? Would we ever survive and endure this life if we had no hope of a better one? Would we ever accept Christ as our Saviour if we had no hope in His salvation?

"Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. Moroni spoke of it in the Book of Mormon as a "hope for a better world" (Ether 12:4). For emotional health and spiritual stamina, everyone needs to be able to look forward to some respite, to something pleasant and renewing and hopeful, whether that blessing be near at hand or still some distance ahead.

“It is enough just to know we can get there, that however measured or far away, there is the promise of 'good things to come'. My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the 'light that is endless, that can never be darkened'. It is the very Son of God Himself."

- Holland, Jeffrey R., "An High Priest of Good Things to Come", October 1999

Imagine if this world was perfect. If there were no calamities, wickedness or turmoil....Imagine if this telestial life was an easy ride; one of constant happiness and devoid of strife. Would we, as disciples of Christ, be yearning and hoping for our Celestial home which is our ultimate destination?

Some say that there have been bad times on this earth since year one and what we are experiencing now is not new. That is true but never before have calamities and scourges come with such intensity, frequency and speed.

There will soon come a time when there will not be a period of respite; when we will long for peace, rest and freedom from oppression of every kind; when we will know beyond a shadow of doubt that He is our only hope, our Deliverer, our God; when we shall have hope through the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ, to be raised unto life eternal (Moroni 7:41).

It will be a time when we will say, in the words of John the Beloved: Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20) for if a man have hope he will also have faith, for without faith there cannot be any hope (Moroni 7:42).

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Second Coming by Brent Borup)

MY HOPE

 

 

My moment of being lifted to higher ground came to me this morning. Following passages of the Second Coming, a simple short verse: “For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come” (Isaiah 63:4). As I looked up the reference in the footnotes to confirm what I thought I understood about ‘the year of my redeemed’, my heart skipped a beat as I read: “And now the year of my redeemed is come; and they shall mention the loving kindness of their Lord, and all that he has bestowed upon them according to his goodness, and according to his loving kindness, forever and ever.” (D&C 133:52). Who are the redeemed? We are. We, the followers of Christ who have accepted His salvation. If you are suffering, hang on! He will come and will wipe away all our tears (Rev 7:17; 21:4) and make up for everything! In the meantime, trust in His goodness and His loving kindness that will endure forever and ever…..

 

You opened my heart

And searched for what 

You there did not see;

My feeble faith and lack of trust

Stood in contrast to your will for me.

You sorrowed at the tears I shed

With every step I was led to take

To find You in my hour of agony.

How patiently You stood waiting

With open arms hoping I would come to Thee.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Come To Me by Yongsung Kim)