I got an early surprise for my birthday this weekend! Alyssa and Hanna were sneaky by inviting me to lunch Friday afternoon. I was tickled that they would want to do that, and we arranged to get together over Hanna's lunch break. Cheesecake Factory was Alyssa's suggestion and I loved it. Chad brought her to Salt Lake with him, supposedly dropping her off before he had to get to work. Alyssa and I played cards and then ran an errand to the DMV. We then went to City Creek and got our table - me still oblivious to all that was happening. Hanna came in and sat down, then stood up with Alyssa's phone to start taking pictures. I looked up and there were Caryn and Camille coming down the stairs toward us! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! I probably made more noise than was appropriate, but there weren't too many people around us to disturb anyway. They had put it all together on Monday and Tuesday, Camille drove to Caryn's on Thursday and they drove to Salt Lake on Friday. We spent a very fun weekend staying at the Residence Inn, shopping, eating, playing games, and even doing a fun craft. We had so much fun, and it was over way too soon. It was a much needed break for us all, especially me.
It's a sad statement of the times that I even feel to say this, but we were careful. You can see by the pictures that we wore masks in public (cute matching ones that Caryn made); we sanitized and tried not to touch things. But darn it I hugged my daughters and granddaughters! They have been very careful at home as well. They live in volatile areas and have family members who absolutely can't get this dumb virus. I've decided that I can't live in fear, and if I'm cautious and careful, I'll be blessed and so will my family.
I read a talk today given by President Uchtdorf in 2017, "Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear." He said, "I don't believe God wants His children to be fearful or dwell on the evils of the world. 'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' He has given us an abundance of reasons to rejoice. We just need to find and to recognize them. The Lord often reminds us to 'be not afraid,' 'to be of good cheer,' and to 'fear not, little flock.'" He also said, "We are, therefore, not ignorant of the challenges of the world, nor are we unaware of the difficulties of our times. But this does not mean that we should burden ourselves or others with constant fear. Rather than dwelling on the immensity of our challenges, would it not be better to focus on the infinite greatness, goodness, and absolute power of our God...? As His covenant people, we need not be paralyzed by fear because bad things might happen. Instead, we can move forward with faith, courage, determination, and trust in God as we approach the challenges and opportunities ahead. We do not walk the path of discipleship alone.... Let us set aside our fears and live instead with joy, humility, hope, and a bold confidence that the Lord is with us."
We can have confidence that the Lord will bless us, and that He is blessing us, as we obey Him and keep His commandments. I believe that also means we need to be smart and heed the warnings and promptings all around us that will keep us safe in these crazy times. I'm grateful that we have been so richly blessed!
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