Temple trip.
Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 06:41PM 
Yesterday was near perfection to me. We did spend 6+ hours in the car, but the day shook up our regular Saturday routine. I'm a typically impatient roadtripper. People who write about three days of driving across the states boggle my mind. make my legs cramp. my head ache. No matter the glory of the destination, I don't love a long drive. But what I do love is being cooped up in a small spot with Jim. Having him bound to my side for 6+ hours of good conversation is {perhaps a sometimes nightmare for him, BUT...} my idea of bliss. You just don't get that kind of talk time in the regular Saturday routine.
And while the regular Saturday routine may be known to bring tears, they're not the lovely kind that kept filling my eyes yesterday. Like many families I know, we start a road trip with a prayer. Jim asked me. But as soon as I started speaking, a rush of emotion swept through me and the words suddenly couldn't form. I was overwhelmed. By the beauty of Temples, by the opportunity to walk through one with my boys, by the teaching moments that would follow...by gratitude for Priesthood power that makes my family Eternal. It's no small thing. And it's a HUGE thing to be responsible for conveying this Reverence to the three children in your backseat.
The second time the tears came {welcome, but unbidden} was when I saw the Angel Moroni topping the tall front spire as we drove into the parking lot. The perfect herald of the restored gospel of Christ. My mind flashed to temples I've visited all over the world, to feelings I've felt in them, to the absolute insignificance of my daily dilemmas in comparison to the magnitude of the great work rolling forth like Daniel's stone cut out of the mountain, filling the earth. It's Big.
Still, the comparatively miniscule, not-even-a-speck-on-the-planet Ford F250 that cargoed us on yesterday's journey held something quite significant. The paradox could drive you dizzy. And I don't fully understand. But I know for a fact that the Lord intimately knows, loves and blesses my family. At the same time that He dictates the forward motion of His enormous work. It's all-at-once Humbling and Exhilarating.
But mostly it's just Beautiful.
Reader Comments (7)
What a treat to get to go together to the temple open house! (I like road trips for the talk-time, too!)
Love your new header with all three cuties--Azure does a lovely job presenting the blog title. :)
And, the cake! Wow! I love the "60" on the tiara--wonderful details. Good job, Amy!
I talked to friend who went late on Friday night and overheard one of the workers asking another, at the continual march of people through the doors, "Are we just going to keep going all night, as long as they come?" "Yes. It's the House of the Lord. They've come to see the House of the Lord." Reminded me of Nauvoo days of all night temple work. And all of these families trekking to that litle valley just make my heart burst.