Lighting the Darkness

There's lots on my heart this week.  I'm mourning the passing of Russell M. Nelson, the President and prophet of our church.  President Nelson brightened this world by encouraging us to be peacemakers, hear the voice of the Lord, and grow confident in the presence of God by spending more time in His house.  I feel deeply grateful for his work on a professional level as well.  He performed the first open-heart surgery in the state of Utah and was instrumental in developing the heart-lung machine that kept Annika alive during her transplant surgery.  With patience and kindness, he encouraged all to look more steadfastly to Christ as the Master Healer.

Our church needs that healing this week.  Just hours after President Nelson's passing, a gunman rammed his truck into a church building in Michigan during Sunday services and set the building ablaze before opening fire. At least four have died, including the gunman.  I simply can't comprehend such acts of violence.

Emotions are funny things. I feel sad.  And I think that's good.  Lately there's been so much hard news that I am afraid of becoming jaded and numb. It's hard to hold space for all the suffering that exists. Yet even as I feel sorrow, I feel peace. President Nelson was 101 years old. Surely his reunion on the other side was joyful.   The violence that happened in Michigan is devastating, as is all the aggression and hatred that blight our nation and world.  I never want to accept evil as the way things are.  But no matter the division, I still feel hope.  I believe the light is brighter than the darkness and that in the end, good will prevail.

I see this good in so many ways.  Last week Annika decided to become a Wish Hero and fund-raise for Make-a-Wish because her own wish was so impactful.  Within hours, many stepped up to bless the lives of kids they don't even know.  Just as my mind has a hard time comprehending the darkness, I am likewise awed by the generosity and goodness I see.

To all who feel overwhelmed by difficult times, please know that I am inspired by your light.