This year one of the gifts I gave was an album of pictures from the life of my father-in-law who passed away last April. I spent probably 15 hours scanning in photos, uploading them to Shutterfly, organizing them, and then getting accurate caption information from my MIL.I have to admit that I have not had very positive past feelings about my father-in-law. Without going into detailed explanation, there were simply some things I did not agree with in regard to his attitude and behavior. Although I disagreed with him I tried hard not to let this prevent us from having a positive relationship and things were pretty good between us.
But as I worked on this album a little miracle happened. I could really feel my heart softening toward my father-in-law. I did not learn much new about him, or come to understand his motivations for his behavior better. But I was definitely touched by the Spirit as I worked on the album. And I became grateful for his willingness to work hard for his family his whole life, the many family trips he took his kids on, and the efforts he made to help his kids make good choices for their future. I guess the Spirit of Elijah helped to turn my heart more toward him.
Scripture of the Day: D&C 2
What a great moment for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this experience. I read your story with interest. My mother had a similar experience. She was raised in a very abusive environment and left home the day after she graduated from high school. When my grandmother (the source of the abuse) was dying---many years later---y mother took her into her home and cared for her for six weeks until her death. It was a very difficult thing to do, yet somehow in the service she learned to love and appreciate her mother. By the time my grandmother died, my mother's wounds from childhood had been healed. What a wonderful gift that was.
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