18 Months of Challenges

To my children: 

I have been pondering the challenges we’ve faced over the last 18 months as a family, but also, I am remembering the corresponding blessings we enjoy. Gordon and Alison have had the unique challenge of raising two young boys during a pandemic that has disrupted the normal development of children all over the world, all while John faced continued problems with seizures. Eric and Krystal have faced Eric’s life-threatening health issue that upended their present day-to-day routine. Haley has moved to a part of the country that is foreign to her with no nearby family support and has taken on an enormous financial debt in the process. 

Yet we are blessed. 

Gordon and Alison have made prayerful decisions in guiding their children. John and Tommy appear to be resilient to difficulties of being a child while wearing a mask. The pandemic and hospitalizations resulting from COVID-19 are declining rapidly and we hope normality will soon return. John is getting medication to help with his seizures. 

Eric was able to get life-saving surgery and Krystal has been enormously loving and supportive throughout. I realize we are only part-way into the recovery but he is clearly improving. The fact that a capable surgeon was there in Dallas is a clear tender mercy from the Lord. We pray in faith that more tender mercies are coming. 

Haley decided to seek a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Georgia after a prayerful search. She seems to be adjusting well and we have faith that by following the promptings of the Lord, she will be blessed in her career pursuit after the degree. 

The problems we have as a family are first-world problems. If we were living in Afghanistan now, we would have far bigger problems than COVID-19, surgery recovery, and student debt. And yet it feels like our family unity and faith are suffering during these challenges. I want all of you to know that Felicia and I love you and long for a chance for us to be together in happiness. 

I was reading in D&C section 104 and came across this passage: 

79 And it is my will that you shall humble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your diligence and humility and the prayer of faith. 

80 And inasmuch as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith, behold, I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your deliverance. 

Though the words are most directly applicable to debt, I think they universally apply to recovery from any setback. The Lord will bless us more as we are diligent, humble, and faithfully prayerful. Faith is what unites us as a family. I pray that we will be grateful and not feel guilty for the privileges we enjoy and that we will not be envious and resentful of others who may appear to have greater privileges. I pray that we can personally work to bless those of lesser privilege through our personal ministering. I pray that we can all participate in General Conference and prayerfully seek inspiration about how the words of living prophets can guide us as we use our agency in life choices. 

Love, Dad