Hard times

Wow. A 9.0 earthquake in Japan followed by a tsunami that was horrifying to watch even on TV, and now, the nuclear problems they are having. I feel so sad. Not too many people died from the earthquake, but the tsunami took many people's lives, swept out to sea or drowned in their homes or in their cars. The electricity is out, water in many areas is undrinkable, the weather is turning bitter cold. To watch them standing in line for food and water now just breaks my heart, though I am impressed with the self-control and integrity they show as a nation. I can only imagine what conditions must be like in those areas. To add to that the fear of radiation poisoning must be incredibly hard!

Naturally this brings up a lot of questions for the kids. They are very concerned for the people who live there, and we were discussing the missionaries and members in those areas, too. We talked about how busy it must be on the other side of the veil with the passing of so many people at once. We've also talked about how fortunate we are to live where we do and to have the abundance that we have. How grateful we are for the knowledge that this earthly life is only one part of the plan of salvation, and that all those spirits will still have the opportunity to come to the knowledge of God and his plan of happiness for us! We are talking about what we can do for the people of Japan. Of course we've been praying for them, but also talking about the humanitarian fund that the church has and keeping tabs on how we can help. We're trying to think of other ways we can be of support, too. Doing practical things to help keeps the emphasis off of the more depressing elements. Still, it's tough to watch and hear about constantly.

In times like this, it always helps me to ponder the atonement. The kids and I are working our way through "The Infinite Atonement" chapter by chapter on Sundays. I feel like this is the most critical thing we can study as a family. If they have an understanding of the atonement and its infinite nature, then they will be far ahead of most people in the world, and if they can gain a true testimony of it and cling to it all their lives, then they will be tremendously blessed and have a "pearl of great price" that will sustain them all their days in this world filled with strife, trial and tragedy. I feel like we could study the atonement all our lives and still gain knowledge daily. That is my goal...to keep expanding our knowledge of the Savior and all he has done for humankind.

In the meantime, we'll keep our focus on the eternal things, and keep Japan's people foremost in our prayers.