On this Easter Sunday, I have been reflecting on the events
of the last couple of months. I am not one to publicly express my feelings very
well on a public site, but I feel the need to share the thoughts of my heart
this day.
I am so grateful for the blessing of the sealing ordinance
of the temple that binds our family for eternity as long as we remain worthy by
keeping the sacred covenants we have made with Heavenly Father! I had a special
experience in the temple with Ethne that has a special place in my heart and is
so symbolic to me. A year before the accident, Ethne’s Uncle Isaac was sealed
to the Humphreys, and Larry and I were so grateful to be invited to witness
this joyous ceremony. The month before, Lawrence and Melissa had moved to Utah
from Idaho and had lived with us or near us for the first year of Ethne’s life. As a result, we had a special
relationship with Ethne. We walked into the Salt Lake temple, and there was
Jessica with Ethne in the waiting area. True to form, Ethne saw us and ran
toward us with open arms, face beaming with love and excitement. What a welcome
for homesick grandparents! I scooped her
up and she gave me a big hug, then a big hug for Larry. We squeezed her tightly
as we joyously fussed over her, then we gave her back to Jessica so we could go
to the sealing we had looked forward to attending. My heart was filled with
love and joy as I contemplated seeing her again after a short period of time.
Over the past two months I have shed many tears, but I have
felt an overwhelming sense of peace as I have thought of this symbolic moment.
Our family welcomed Ethne to this world with open arms and we cherished having
this precious red-haired dolly with us and enjoyed fussing over her. She also
reached out to us with her sweet smile and loving, open arms and provided
countless hours of joy and precious experiences. It was for such a short time
and we had to say good-bye much sooner than we were prepared to, but we must
complete our test on the earth. I am sure we eagerly awaited our opportunity to
come to earth and attend to our Father’s work and prove ourselves worthy of all
that our Father has in store for us if we take care of our responsibilities. In
the context of eternity, our time away from Ethne will be but a short period of
time, and my heart is full of love and joy as I contemplate seeing her again
after this short time and feeling her arms around my neck again as she hugs me
at our joyous reunion. In the meantime, all of us must do all we can in preparation
for this blessed event as we continue to progress and grow through hard work
and good choices. A few verses from a favorite hymn mean even more to me now:
“Oh,
what songs of the heart we shall sing all the day,
When again we assemble at home,
When we meet ne’er to part with the blest o’er
the way,
There no more from our loved
ones to roam!

Tho our rapture and bliss
there’s no song can express,
We will shout, we will sing o’er
and o’er,
As we greet with a kiss and with
joy we caress
All our loved ones that passed
on before.

Oh, the visions we’ll see in
that home of the blest,
There’s no word, there’s no
thought can impart,
But our rapture will be all the
soul can attest,
In the heavenly songs of the
heart.”
(Hymns, 286, “Oh, What Songs of
the Heart”)

Grandma Marilyn Stone