Forget shooting for the moon. I want to shoot for the Sun. The sun radiates its own brightness, while the moon merely reflects the sun’s brilliance. I have always been fascinated by the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 88:6-7 “He comprehendeth all things, that he might be… the light of truth; This is the light of Christ. As also he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made.” My love of Jesus and the Sun are inseparable. Ever since I was a very little girl my annual birthday wish has been to make it to the Celestial Kingdom. I learned in Primary that there were three degrees of glory in heaven like the varying brightness of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. The Celestial glory is like unto the glory of the sun. As a child I figured, if it’s faith that gets us there then I had better start wishing! Time is short, after all.
On Feb. 3, 2023 my family is super excited to begin our weekend trip at Suncadia Ski Resort. When we arrive the kids beg to go straight to the pool. They are itching to try out the indoor waterslides. When we get there I head straight for the hot tub where I can watch the kids as I relax. I pop my earbuds in and listen to Christian Homestead Channel talk about how all the oldest leaders and people around the world are passing away this year. Perhaps its a symbol of a the new season we are entering in the world? I think of my own Grandma who has outlived all of my relatives by 30+ years or more.
All the family fun is suddenly interrupted when I get a phone call from my Mom letting me know that my Grandma is passing away quickly. She let’s me know that today is also the anniversary of the day that my Grandpa died many years ago when my mom was only ten years old. I let this sink in as I was watch my children go down the waterslides over and over again. As my tears mix with the sting of the chlorine, blurring the sign that reads “SUNcadia” I find comfort in the timing and circumstances of this news. There are two events that my Grandma is famous for: The hike to Lake Hardy in the mountain tops and going down the Alpine Sliding Rock into the glacial waters. It felt like a nod to her life and our relationship to receive the news of her passing while my family was partaking in the joys of mountain fun and water slides.
Later that week, I flew to Alpine Utah for the funeral services. I helped my Mom get ready by overseeing some of the flower purchases, as my Grandma absolutely adored all flowers. We ordered many gorgeous sprays and stands full of flowers. Then, we went to Costco to pick up a cake for the funeral luncheon. As we headed out the door, I saw some beautiful orchids and felt the need to buy one. There were a variety of colors available, but I picked out a purple spotted orchid that I thought my Grandma would love.
Next, we headed to the assisted living facility to clean out a few leftover personal items. AND THEN, As I walked in, I noticed a beautiful painting of the sun breaking through the clouds that looked like the sister painting to the one I had in my bedroom. I had never noticed it on past visits. AND THEN I see on the end table where my Grandma would normally be smiling and waiting for me, was a beautiful purple spotted orchid that looked exactly like the one I had just picked out. These were tender mercies and little miracles that I took note of and stowed away in the ark of the covenant of my mind. I’ve started taking pictures of the visual mercies that have meaning so I can better remember.
I have been continuing to think on the ark theme for 2023. An ancient hebrew tradition is that our bodies are temples and the contemplative mind is like unto the ark of the covenant. In Exodus 25:21, God commands us to put our testimony and miracles into the ark. Verse 22 reminds us that it is in the quiet space above the ark and mercy seat where he will meet with us. There is an empty space between the cherubim, and I love how I have the opportunity to commune with God in my quiet space. If we maintain a contemplative state and keep him in our thoughts, we may discover that the glory of God enlivens our ark of the covenant. The Israelites were able to carry the glory of God with them wherever they went, as long as they cared for the ark of the covenant.
The funeral service proved to be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with family members I hadn’t seen in ages. During the service, I gave a brief speech and was moved by the shared memories. My brothers’ piano and organ duet of “How Great Thou Art” was breathtaking, with a flamboyant finale that left a lasting impression. It was a beautiful tribute to my grandmother, and I felt she would have loved it.
After the service, we had a family luncheon to celebrate her life, featuring her favorite food: Chinese cuisine, complete with orange chicken, egg rolls, and other delicious dishes. Before leaving, I grabbed a fortune cookie as a memento.
A few weeks later I was pondering on whether or not I really needed to continue this blog. Maybe the Youtube interview was the end game and I could be done? There are so many awesome blogs and faith building material out there I could just point people in the direction of my favorite ones rather than trying to create content myself. Despite my past inspiration I have felt stretched thin with time and demotivated to find the time to write.
As I was thinking on this I noticed the forgotten fortune cookie in my purse. The hair on my arms and neck stood up as I realized this cookie might contain a message for me in that moment that I needed to hear. (I don’t normally put ANY stock in fortune cookie messages but this felt different). Thoughts of the coin inside the mouth of the fish popped into my mind. The coin in the fish’s mouth anticipates the climactic supply of blessing through the death and resurrection of Christ. A dramatic reiteration of this principle was appropriate in the context of the temple tax. The temple was the temple of God. As such, it foreshadowed Christ, whose body is the temple (John 2:21). What coin of inspiration would be contained in the mouth of the cookie from my Grandma’s funeral?
I cracked the cookie open and was disappointed to find it had random budgeting advice. “I guess that is almost like the coin?” I think. AND THEN I noticed there was a second message stuck behind it. (A double fortune!) This message not only aligned perfectly with the “Come Follow Me” theme of the week but also reminded me of the reasons I started my blog: 1) to be obedient, and 2) to share my faith and love of Jesus Christ for His glory. The fortune I received alluded to the ultimate fortune I’ve wished for since childhood and provided an answer to my current question, including the “why” I needed to hear at that moment: “TO SHINE IS BETTER THAN TO REFLECT.” It felt as though my grandmother was imparting one last piece of advice from the place of light where she now resides; a bright place that exists because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
