Gifts

Yesterday was better than the day before; Today will be better than yesterday;  Tomorrow the sun will rise on a new and better day.

“We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” (Articles of Faith #1)  The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead and it was he who Christ promised his disciples would come after He was gone.

After we are baptized we receive the “Gift of the Holy Ghost” which is a help and guide to us in this life.  From the Holy Ghost, flow the Gifts of the Spirit to those who believe… “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; …And… signs shall follow them that believe.” (Mark 16: 16-17)  What are the Gifts of the Spirit?  What are some of these signs or outward manifestations of these gifts?  They are, in part, the following:  Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Working Mighty Miracles, Prophesy, Beholding of Angels, Tongues, Interpretations of Tongues, etc..

When a parent has a child with a life changing situation or with a life threating illness they will do anything and everything to help that child.  As a parent your emotions ache and cry out from the depths of your soul for your troubled child… you seek all available resources: Faith, doctors, medical journals, friends, internet and so forth… many find a renewed faith in God and call upon their Creator with pleads of  help… there is an old saying that “there are no atheists in a fox hole,”  we Marines choose to call it a “Fighting Hole,” and it is a hole, it is a pit, but this is where we parents have to fight from.

Here at the hospital, in the PICU,  I see other parents and relatives of ill children fighting the battles and finding faith in their struggles… when your child is sick and fighting for their life, many find God or seek to renew that relationship they once had with Him.

“We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets,  pastors, teachers, evangelist , and so forth.” (Articles of Faith #6)

I believe in God the Eternal Father and in His Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost. I believe in living Prophets and Apostles, I believe in Modern Revelation and I believe that the Gifts and Power of the Spirit are available to those who earnestly seek them and who  are worthy of these gifts… if they seek them to bless the lives of others.

“We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.” (Article of Faith #7) and we are commanded to:   “… seek ye earnestly the best gifts” (D&C 48: 8)

I seek after these gifts, for they are good gifts, but I do not seek them for myself; I seek them for our son and for the ability to bless others.. I seek the gift of healing from among these good gifts… but above all I seek to know the will of our Father in Heaven: Then the powers of heaven will be exercised correctly for him and for others.

I am not alone in wanting to heal my child.. here on this floor, in this hospital are parents who love their child and seek the same blessing of physical healing that I do for Adam.  I would love for their burden to be made lighter.. I would love to see their smiles and hear their praises over the crying of hopelesness and the torment of sadness that serious illness brings.

Along with the normal gifts of the spirit that we usually associate them with, I think there are numerous other spiritual gifts that we might overlook… these are gifts that have been given to us individually to develop and use for the benefit of others.  Among these gifts are some of the following:  the gift to Love Others, the gift of  Compassion, the gift of Concern, the gift to Listen, the gift of Speech, the gift to be Gentle, the gift of True Friendship, the gift of Charity.

Gifts of the Spirit are beautiful: Gifts are manifestations of qualities that are found in heaven;  Gifts are given, in part,  to help prepare us for the eternities.

Adam has lost his gift of speech…it was taken from him;  he struggles for words, he struggles for language, he struggles for his gift of tongues, he struggles to communicate.  I will yet see the blessings of heaven upon him and he will be blessed to speak again… He will yet be heard in many parts of the world;  His testimony will be heard by many and they will hear it from his lips.

Again I am reminded that God often works in the simple to bring about the great… He show’s forth his works not in the loudness of the world or in the flashing lights of recognition, but in the quietness of the still small voice, the voice of the spirit that can pierce the soul to the very center.

I am grateful for the Holy Ghost and the gifts that are allotted to us to benefit others. There are many gifts, many which go unrecognized, but if we stop and ponder… which is another gift in itself… we will begin to have a better view of the divine around us.

Adam you will yet walk the walk and talk the talk… you will be healed;  Adam, you will speak and you will fulfill your divine purposes… all according to the will of the Father.

Keep fighting from that “fighting hole” the battle is well on its way and you are doing wonderfully.