Keep Perspective (for when I need a reminder)

An acquaintance, who has a special needs child significantly more impaired then my own, said to me "I know that [my child] will be in the celestial kingdom, but with [your son] I guess you don't have that assurance." It wasn't meant to be hurtful, but it was. I guess because that is something that troubles me; especially since as mothers and parents we work so hard to teach and guide our children, and our greatest desire for them is to make correct choices. It's such a worry and can be very painful when they don't. I look at how far we have come over the last several years and I am grateful. Truly. But it is a constant struggle. And I expect it always will be. For a time I was bitter that promised blessings didn't seem to be fulfilled, but I have learned that healing is a process and is not so much about having something taken away, but it is about things that are given such as understanding, peace, love and acceptance. I love this quote I found in the Ensign this morning:

"When someone has an ailment or an illness and they are healed as the result of a blessing, their faith is being strengthened. But for those who aren't healed but continue faithful, their faith is being perfected. The first is a faith-promoting experience. The second is faith-perfecting." Ensign, April 2011, pp 27

And a few other quotes that comfort me:

"A sweet and obedient child will enroll a father or mother only in Parenting 101. If you are blessed with a child who tests your patience to the nth degree, you will be enrolled in Parenting 505. Rather than wonder what you might have done wrong in the premortal life to be so deserving, you might consider the more challenging child a blessing and opportunity to become more godlike yourself. With which child will your patience, long-suffering, and other Christlike virtues most likely be tested, developed, and refined? Could it be possible that you need this child as much as this child needs you?" (What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be? Lynn G. Robbins, April Conference 2011) "

. . .the Lord knows the end from the beginning and as the prophet Joseph declared, all things--past, present, and future--are and were with him 'one eternal now.' Perspective. PERSPECTIVE. God deals with pain through and by virtue of his infinite and perfect perspective . . .all we need to do for the time being is to seek through fasting and prayer for a portion of our God's perspective--his omni-loving patience, his long-suffering, his ever-open arms, and a glimpse of the big picture. Such a perspective will not only serve us well here, in the midst of our sufferings, but it will empower our souls and fashion us into the image of our Master, who is the personification of charity, or the pure love of Christ . . .And so we pray, we fast, we plead, and we implore. And, perhaps most important, we love those who wander, and we never, never give up hope. . . our Heavenly Father knows us one and all by name and knows perfectly our sorrows and our soul's deepest longings. . .there are righteous forces at work that are beyond our capacity to perceive or comprehend. I know with all my heart that, 'the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man [or woman] availeth much (James 5:16), and that in both time and eternity our God shall wipe away all tears." (When a Child Wanders, Robert L. Millet, pp )153-155

"Our prayers ought to be to see as God sees, to flip the switch in our minds so we may see things eternally. If we listen too often to the voices of the world, we will become confused and tainted. We must anchor ourselves in the spirit, and that requires daily vigilance." (On Earth as is is in Heaven, Patricia T. Holland)