Shiny Little Stones

"And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness." Ether 6:3

When we read this chapter in Ether last night, for some reason this sentence really stuck out to me. It seemed as if it were louder than the rest of the words of the chapter and as soon as I got up the next morning, I was still thinking about it. I love how the scriptures can bring so many meanings to just one sentence. Of course when Moroni was writing these things, he is telling about the physical light and explaining how the Jaredites were able to cross the seas in literally the dark. But it really stood out to me in a more symbolic way and I started to think about the importance of recognizing and being grateful that the Lord is always giving us light so that we will never cross the "great waters" alone or in darkness.

I'm so grateful for that light and for those little "stones" that make all the difference.

I've been thinking lately about the ironic nature of life. This life is to test us, but it's also to bring us closer to experiencing true joy. I've always thought of these two things separately, never occurring at the same time and always opposite in nature. Although, as I'm growing up a little bit (yeah still pretty immature..) I think I'm starting to realize that these things happen simultaneously.

I've had the opportunity to see a special lady battling breast cancer every few weeks for fundraiser meetings and spent a little time with her family in those meetings. I went to a meeting like this last night, and something really hit me when I came into the house and saw Cyndi. She glowed. It was almost as if she were literally illuminated. I think the Lord has brought so many physical and spiritual blessings to her and so many of her own characteristics have been polished and perfected, I could see light shining through so clearly.

So many things shine through the darkness in my life and I'm grateful for those. I think a lot of that light comes from the children that God has placed on the earth to be part of my life. I'm sure if you are reading this, you probably are classified as one of those sources of light to me. So thanks. Thanks a whole lot. :)

PS Is there like a website people look up great titles for their posts. Because, seriously, title choosing is becoming very obnoxious. "Shiny Little Stones?" Yeah it really is the best I could come up with. And that is sad.