Mother, I love you.

My mom is a never-ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. – Graycie Harmon

Not too long ago, there was this church filmstrip called “I’ll Build You a Rainbow”. I used to have the story memorized. It was about a little boy named Jamey and his mother. I came to love this story as I likened the little boy to myself. Both our mothers died when we were 11 yrs old.

(Read story at http://anchoredbygrace.com/heartstrings/families.htm)

The story talked about Jamey’s mom having all the time in the world for him as compared to other moms who were busy with their “fashion shows & bridge parties”. She was home with him. I remember when I was growing up, my mother stayed home with me. She was a homemaker. My dad was already retired from the Navy when I was born. I never had to miss my parents’ company while growing up.

My 11th year in life was notable as this was the time my mother got sick and died. The same happened to Jamey’s mom. He was called home from school one day and he was surprised to see an ambulance parked in the driveway. When he went in the house, he saw his mom lying on the bed. He had a moment with her. Jamey did not understand as to why it had to happen. He said, “mom you can’t die”. His mom replied, “It’s ok Jamey. I have been with you more in 11 years that most moms been with their boys in their whole lifetime”. He said, “I know mom. I know, but you just can’t die”. The mother reassuringly responded, “Jamey I want you to know a secret—it’s a special secret, and I want you to always remember it: ‘Families are forever’”!

I wish I also had a moment with my mom before she closed her eyes and eventually passed on. I was playing the piano at home one morning. She walked towards me and sat down on the rocking chair by the piano. I thought she fell asleep while listening to my music. I couldn’t wake her up. When the doctors came, they said she must be taken to the hospital. The next time I saw my mother, she was in a casket.

I remember it was my mother who sent me to piano school. She aspired that someday I can play the hymns at church. The church building in our hometown was still under construction when she died. It was a noble intention and for that, I am grateful that since then, I’ve been playing the piano at church. It has become a talent I humbly share. It also came handy when I was a missionary. There were some areas where wards or branches didn’t have pianists so I got to play during sacrament meetings.

Going back, the day my mother arrived in a casket, I went to our backyard. I looked up in the sky and I didn’t know what to think or feel. I didn’t understand. I went in the house by the kitchen door and my father was right there. He embraced me and cried, “your mother is gone”. I cried, too. Just like Jamey, I could feel my dad’s teardrops on my own cheeks. Then I remembered the secret. I looked up to him and said, “dad it’s alright, families are forever!”

My mother was out of my life’s scene early. It’s been 23 years since, but I still remember her as a kind and caring mother. I remember her kisses when I was hurt. She was always there to give me a hug every time I was in trouble. Of all the things she did, I will always be thankful for the things she taught me. She was my primary teacher at church. I learned about the Savior and my Heavenly Father’s love at her knees. My mother instilled my testimony of living prophets to me. I remember her testimony of President Kimball. She loved that prophet and she testified that when communicating with God, President Kimball could almost touch the Savior. From that testimony, I know now as I learned before that our living prophets and apostles are literally special witnesses, even eyewitnesses of the Savior.

My mother. I love her. I thank the Lord for giving her to me and letting her stay with me for those 11 years. I thank her for the love, the comfort, and the happiness, which became music to me, still playing in my heart. It’s been a long time. I can only remember a few things about her, but the tune unto which she sang her lullabies will always be a part of me. Ultimately, I’m grateful for the knowledge & assurance that I can be together with her again, forever.

“I'll build you a rainbow, way up high above. Send down a sunbeam, plumb full of love. Sprinkle down raindrops, teardrops of joy. I'll be happy as spring-time, watchin' over my boy”

Service = Happiness

“To measure the goodness of life by its delights and pleasures is to apply a false standard. The abundant life does not consist of a glut of luxury. It does not make itself content with commercially produced pleasure, mistaking it for joy and happiness. To find real happiness, we must seek for it in a focus outside ourselves. No one has learned the meaning of living until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his fellowmen. Service to others is akin to duty, the fulfillment of which brings true joy.”

-= Thomas S. Monson =-

Sheila Debois sent this quote to me today. She is my provider of Daily Words of Wisdom (DailyWoW).

What a timely message this is. Yesterday during Sunday school, we started discussing about the teachings of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon. He was a great leader and a giant of an example of service to his fellowmen. He was a holy man who reigned in righteousness over his people. He labored with “all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul”. (Mosiah 1:17-18) In his own words he said, “And even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon you which was grievous to be borne–". (Mosiah 2:14)

Such was the character of King Benjamin that the people loved him so much. He was a great political and spiritual leader. The balance that he was able to establish among his people was an accomplishment that is yet to be seen in this modern world.

Great was his wisdom as he reminded his sons, Mosiah, Helorum, & Helaman, about the value of the scriptures. “I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct”. (Mosiah 1:5)

It is indeed a blessing to have the opportunity, even the luxury to “have his commandments always before our eyes. Have we taken advantage? On the other hand, have we, because of neglect of the scriptures, dwindled in unbelief from time to time in our lives? Have we sometimes “suffered in ignorance, not knowing the mysteries of God”? Mark Twain once said, “A man who won’t read is no better off than a man who can’t.” This is certainly true of reading the scriptures. If we do not read the scriptures, what advantage do we have over those who cannot read them for whatever reason?

By reading the scriptures we come to understand what the Lord would have us do. President Monson in the citation above discusses how to measure a good and happy life. It is by service to others.

King Benjamin taught: “….when you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17). We are eternally indebted to God for the following, among other things: (see Mosiah 2:20-23)

- He has created us
- He has preserved us
- He has caused that we can rejoice
- He has granted that we can live in peace
- He is preserving us from day to day
- He lends us breath
- He allows us agency–that is, the power to live and move according to our wills
- He has granted unto us our lives

Now Benjamin lists the things we can do for God: There are only three of them:

- We can be grateful
- We can serve him
- We can keep his commandments

When we do these things, “….he [God] doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast"? (Mosiah 2:24)
We can never be too confident of our own might until we’ve acknowledged the hand of God in the use of that might. We can never own our accomplishments, regardless of how hard we worked for them and how much effort we put to them until we have acknowledged the help of God in those endeavors.

When we look at our meager efforts in this light, we begin to see why Benjamin could call us “unprofitable servants (see Mosiah 2:21).” Of course, God’s investment in the welfare of his children and his involvement in their lives is not a business venture from which he hopes to turn a profit. Benjamin’s explanation of the goodness of God makes it seem very much as though God pays reverse interest: the more we try to repay him for his goodness and blessings, the more his goodness and blessings upon us increase (Thought by Ted L. Gibbons). This makes it impossible to recompense our debt to him.

In our efforts to give back what is due to the Lord, we ought to serve Him with all our might, mind, and strength. Recalling how it was in the mission, we were blessed if we served Him faithfully. In the service of the people whom we were called to serve, we found happiness as we, in our inadequate state, were able to help them change for the better. After the mission, we are still given many opportunities to serve. In doing so, we forget about ourselves, worry about others, and as we lift them up, we lift our lives in the process.

In the light of President Monson’s words, it is not by traveling or by going to places of interest—finding pleasure by doing so, that we discover lasting happiness. It is not by merely satisfying our wants by acquiring the things we see other people have. It is, indeed, by serving others and learning to recognize the joys by so doing. We can never be content with the kind of life we’re living if we’ve only scratched the surface of our purpose in life. What is the purpose of life? To be
happy—but the kind of happiness that we ought to attain is the kind that is not disrupted by the end of worldly pleasure. It is not the type that is suspended if a loved one dies. The happiness that we ought to arrive at is the type that brings hope and direction—a force that we can reckon with in our quest for eternal life in the presence of our Father in Heaven.

Rain

It was a delight to listen to the pouring rain last night. It’s been a very hot summer and we’d appreciate a downpour every now and then. I just wish that would happen during mid-day to make my rest more comfortable—to, in a way, bathe the oven!

A rainy day or a rainy night brings back many memories. Aside from the fun bathe in the rain when I was a kid, there was that elementary school nostalgia when I bring along my raincoat and have my teacher button my way to it since mom wouldn’t come pick me up.

Gone were the days of raincoats in high school. I brought along an umbrella. It’s funny how we show off our umbrellas and compare as to which was bigger, but it was always enjoyable when I get to share with friends, especially my crush (just pray that she didn’t bring along an umbrella).

I would rather not talk about my memory of rain in college. That took place in Manila, particularly in Espana in Sampaloc. A downpour would mean cancellation of classes as flashfloods rise faster than you think. You’d later find yourself stranded and if you want to go home, you have to trek your way through the dirty floodwaters. My birthdays always had to happen on a rainy day. We had to walk our way through the ‘swamp’ just to buy food to eat for the fete.

I lived through those days and looking back, I think I know & understand the importance of rain in my life. For me the rain is a symbol of God’s blessing. Moroni, a Book of Mormon prophet wrote about a certain “dearth” (famine) in the land when the people basked in wickedness (Moroni 9). “And it came to pass that there began to be a great dearth upon the land, and the inhabitants began to be destroyed exceedingly fast because of the dearth, for there was no rain upon the face of the earth” (v. 30). The famine occurred because of the absence of rain. Notice what happened when the people humbled themselves—only then did the Lord send rain. “And it came to pass that when they had humbled themselves sufficiently before the Lord he did send rain upon the face of the earth; and the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit in the north countries, and in all the countries round about. And the Lord did show forth his power unto them in preserving them from famine” (v. 35). Because of the rain, “the people began to revive again, and there began to be fruit…..”. Notice the effect of rain among the people.

We all hear some people grumble about life’s difficulties. Sometimes the hardships lead to transgression of God’s laws. That is somehow extreme. Let us just say that because of life’s hardships, people tread on the paths of omission, not necessarily intending to disobey. While on that path, however, the things that are supposed to be done which aren’t done leads one away from God, thus the beginning of a more errant life. Then the “dearth” comes. There’s no more rain, just famine. People then die down and bear no fruit at all. Life becomes even less mediocre, if not useless and miserable.

When life becomes too unhappy and unfruitful, one would want rain to come as the Philistines of old (Gen. 27:28, Deut 33:13) to make their land fertile. Just as the dews of heaven come when we start to realize our mistakes and our lack, the rain follows when we stay on the path of recovery and become “sufficiently” humble. Then we become revived and once again, productive.

I want to think of rain as the gift of the Holy Ghost. We keep a dazzling “downpour” of this gift if we tread the paths of obedience & righteousness. Just as I remember how fun and joyful it was with my experience of rain in my youth, the same feeling vibrates as I remember the rainy days in my spiritual quest for happiness.