The gift of Peace

At the end of November our Relief Society had a lesson about trials, and more specifically how relying on the Savior during our times of trial will help us to feel of His Peace. At the start of the lesson I began to reflect on recent trials that Tom and I had experienced. I immediately had an overwhelming feeling that I was not alone, and that we would be able to learn and grow from these trials. As the lesson went on, several women from our ward who had been asked to share their personal experiences of persevering through times of difficulty got up and talked about some of specific trials they had been given and how they were able to overcome. At that moment, I felt like what I was experiencing was really nothing. That I had Tom, and Savannah, and Benjamin, and Jacob, and we were healthy, and we had food to eat, and a warm home, and mostly importantly the hope and peace that the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring. I felt like our trials, although significant to us, could be weathered a lot easier if I continued to focus on what I do have rather than what I do not. It was a really good Sunday.

A couple of weeks after that lesson, Tom and I returned home one Sunday evening to find several boxes FILLED with food, diapers, and a note that read,"we hope that you will always remember that the Lord loves you and is watching over you." After getting over the initial shock of receiving a gift of this magnitude, and shedding lots of tears, Tom and I gave a prayer of thanks for such a generous offering. We never imagined that we would be the recipients of something like this.

As the days went on and I would think of this wonderful gift, I couldn't believe how much stress was relieved and how much Peace I felt in knowing that so many of our immediate needs had been taken care of in these boxes given to us in complete anonymity. This gift was so much more than flour, sugar, and boxes of cereal. It was more than diapers, and spaghetti, and oatmeal. It was honestly a gift of love and Peace that Tom and I will never forget.