My Eternal Family
Our Father in Heaven is a creator. He carefully puts together each family as His tool to do His marvelous work — “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”. (Moses 1:39)
This perspective can make family life a very sacred experience.
Joseph F. Smith, sixth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, once said, “Always remember this is the Lord’s work and not man’s. The Lord is greater than any man. He…never makes any mistake.”
Looking at something as basic as the order of the personalities who have come to our family, I can see God’s hand. One child has always believed that she’s right about everything. Another child enjoys pointing out when she’s NOT right. If they had been put next to each other in our line up, they probably would have killed each other off before leaving elementary school. God mercifully put a neutral, conflict-dissolving child between them so they would both be given time to grow out of their issue and become friends.
He never makes any mistake.
Toward the end of our family, we have a run of four boisterous boys before our youngest daughter and her little brother make their appearance. In His mercy again, two of the four boys were blessed with a capacity to observe and to nurture, which has saved their sister and baby brother much grief. Those two brothers are very different from each other and don’t always get along, but they will work together to help their youngest siblings.
He never makes any mistake.
You would think that the middle children in a large family would feel lost or forgotten. Our kind Heavenly Father sent two perceptive peacemakers who thank their mother repeatedly for “having all these children” and willingly jump in to run things when the older siblings are unavailable.
He never makes any mistake.
What of the siblings who are in constant conflict? The broken relationships between parent and child? The pains that time doesn’t mend?
As a bumbling mortal who doesn’t know much, I don’t have all the answers. However, Elder Richard G. Scott has stated, “Our Heavenly Father did not put us on earth to fail but to succeed gloriously.”
I believe it! Somehow as He puts our imperfect, quirky families together, God gives us just exactly what we need to become who we need to be to “succeed gloriously”.
Even filled with laundry, casseroles, refereeing, caregiving, chauffeuring, and patience-trying to our very core, today is part of eternity.
May we each take a second and third careful look at the family tool our Father in Heaven has given us. Your family is perfect for YOU!
“God gives us families to help us become what He wants us to be. This is how He shares His love…For the Family is of God.”
