I am struggling a bit this Thanksgiving Day. But instead of dwelling on that, I arrived to the Trail Center early tonight (before our Thanksgiving Dinner) to sit in the Memorial Room. It overlooks the beautiful Winter Quarters Temple and the cemetery. I am here to meditate -- I love to meditate - to be still and to turn to positive and healthy thoughts. I am here to honor my ancestors who lived here and started their legacy of faith, courage and hope and spent a year or two (some longer) with past Thanksgivings where I know that their hearts were full of gratitude for their Savior's love and for their protection and trials and growth from each one. Everywhere in this beautiful valley, I feel them blessing me and thanking me for remembering them. So as D.C. 136:28 says -- I likewise ..."praise the Lord with....prayer and thanksgiving." - as they did. As the day turns to dusk and it is a night of calm and peace -- I am grateful and I feel my Savior's love. He understands what I am feeling. He calms my heart.
The light of the Savior is across the street in every light that adorns and surrounds the beautiful Winter Quarters Temple. Thanksgiving today -- and the Christmas holiday season begins tomorrow with the Church's initiative message -- LIGHT THE WORLD. The lights across the street, the lights in our homes and on our trees and in our windows -- they all help us celebrate the season. This is truth -- it is the source of light which help us celebrate our Savior. And with it - we will focus on service, worldwide service, the small gifts of service and the large ones -- it doesn't matter -just so we serve in some way every day from Dec. 1st to Christmas Day on the 25th. With every service we render to someone -- we praise our Savior and show our love to him.
When I feel so alone and lonely as I do today -- I come to the Trail Center, the Temple and/or cemetery and I feel my Savior's love -- and no matter what - he is always by my side. He has angels and on right and on my left and they bear me up. It doesn't take long to be rid of the loneliness - to be back on my feet with my head held high and to take just another step forward and to continue my quest as a senior missionary.
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