This past week has been pretty emotional for me. I had a tremendous opportunity to take care of an amazing kid who was paralyzed in a snowboarding accident. The experience of it touched my heart for so many reasons. This 19 year old boy has faced the challenge of being paralyzed from the neck down with a smile on his face and the faith of a child. As I was preparing to leave work the other morning his mother stopped me to say something and then gave me a hug thanking me for all that I had done. I told her, with tears in my eyes, that it had been such a blessing for me to take care of her son. I told her that he and his family have taught me so much about faith and what it means to stick by one another through these difficult times. I didn't mean too, but I made her cry and then of course, I started crying.
In a lot of ways this experience reminded me of all that I had gone through and how truly blessed I am. What I went through doesn't even compare to the magnitude of what this poor kid will have to endure, but somehow he smiles and makes all who are around him smile and laugh. He even sang to me the other night...I guess he didn't want to hear me singing because I told him, "I bet if I start singing I can make you laugh really hard." So instead of listening to me, he went ahead and sang.
I was running the other afternoon before heading into work and was thinking of everything he was facing and everything I had been through when I had a thought. What if... before we came to this life on earth we were presented with possible trials by our Father in Heaven. You know...like there was this big meeting and we were all sitting around listening to our Father in Heaven present different possible trials.And I thought maybe I raised my hand and volunteered to have the heart attack and get really sick from one of the medicines and to lose a baby and the love of my life. Maybe I volunteered to go through that so someone else wouldn't have to. And maybe, just maybe this stalwart young boy I speak of volunteered to do the same so that one of his friends or siblings wouldn't have to endure it. Because before coming to earth, we understood the plan of our Father in Heaven, we understood that if we proved faithful we would return to live with Him someday. It was just a thought, and I in no way intend to impose my thoughts on anyone, but it was a special moment for me and in a flash I thought how much I turned away from my God when I was going through everything. I couldn't believe that a loving Heavenly Father would let a "child" go through all of that, but I was wrong. I know now that I got through all of that because my Heavenly Father carried me through it...there was no way I got through it on my own.
I was reminded again today of how my life would be different if I hadn't made some of the choices I made several years ago. I ran into an old acquaintance in Harmon's (UT grocery store). I had taught this young man Spanish in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT. Several years have passed since my teaching days in the MTC and it was crazy to see him and hear of his life. It made me sad for a minute (a few minutes actually) as I thought on the road I had taken when I left UT seven years ago, but then I felt immense gratitude for where I am today. For in the end, today is what counts. We can't go back and take back our mistakes, but today we can forge ahead with faith and hope.
I am grateful for new friends I'm making. The life I'm loving here in UT, and for this young patient I was blessed to take care of and his family. They are examples to me of faith and courage. I have learned lessons I will never forget and for that I feel lucky.
