he lives! my kind, wise heavenly friend

My heart and my mind are completely full this morning.

I laid in bed this morning thinking on Easter and the atonement and resurrection of my Savior. Thinking on how much He has blessed me. Thinking on His amazing grace.

Recently I've been praying for an increased awareness of others -of their needs and what I might to do lighten their burdens. I've been praying for this in hopes that the Lord will help me shake off my selfish nature.

In Arizona He began to answer that prayer through the people around me. One evening my dad and I were out on the patio together, watching Pirate dig in the dirt, and somehow we got to talking about the homeless. He told me a story that hit my heart hard. It got me thinking... There are so many, so very many, broken people in this world. So much hurt. So much disappointment, loss, pain, struggle. So many suffering hearts. So much loneliness.

On our way home we passed, as we always do, through Holbrook, Arizona. My brother-in-law served part of his mission in that area, and said it was his favorite place in his whole mission. Holbrook is a small town. It's smack in the middle of no-where. There is nothing notable in the surrounding landscape. The buildings are, all of them, run-down and old. Crumbling bricks. Faded paint. It's the kind of town that, the whole time we're passing though, I wonder -who would want to live here? It's the kind of town I imagine every teenager vowing to escape as soon as possible. I imagine the people who stay to be the ones whose choices trapped them there. Yet, according to my brother-in-law there wasn't a more humble area in all of his mission, which covered half of Arizona. I can readily believe it.

As we were driving through this time, I was noticing some of the people walking on the side of the road. I was thinking of the all the broken people. Certainly broken towns signify broken people. I was thinking of the Savior and His grace. His healing. His Saving Power.

And into my mind came the judgement day, when He who saved us, stands before us, one by one. I imagine the veil being lifted for these broken people, who weren't able to find Him in this life. These people who are aware of their nothingness. Who never felt worthy of anything. And I hear Him saying to them, "Come unto Me ye who labor and are heavy laden. Come unto Me and I shall give you rest."

His atonement, His grace, mercy, power, love -it is for all of us. Every last one of us. He loves us all. He can heal us all. The arm of his mercy is stretched out still.

I know He lives.