A Stone for a Ring

The Greatness and Goodness of God

The last several months I have been humbled to understand the way that our Loving Heavenly Father instructs us in this life. His teaching is not the pass or fail kind, it’s not cramming the material in last minute and trying to regurgitate it in the time of an exam. It requires our whole heart and mind. It uncovers a capacity of character that us ourselves, never fully knew of. He gives us this gift of knowledge that we may become great; to inherit the blessings of holiness and royalty that is part of our birthright. Only through the experience and trying of mortality can we come to understand the infinite, eternal, all-knowing, all-encompassing life of endless joy that God lives and has prepared for us.

Life has its challenges, often times when it seems there is no way to go on. But I have personally seen the Hand of God in my life guiding me to exactly where I need to be. Sometimes it is manifest in humorous and inconvenient ways.

My first semester of school after the mission I was busily amidst getting back into the routine of my studies, one day I felt a slight but reoccurring pain in my side. Other signs came to point to a possible kidney stone. I went to the doctor and the CT proved my assumption right. I thought it was no big deal, I’d had them before. With a lemonade-filled no social life weekend I could sweep it out of there in no time. The doctor noted that it was particularly larger than my previous and it would be best to have it blasted before it caused infection. We scheduled a day for the small procedure but the whole thing turned out to be a dreadful inconvenience. I had slight fears, for I had to be put under for this procedure and I was slightly nervous. My parents made it a point to be there for me.

Also so did my boyfriend, we dated before the mission, he had asked for my father’s hand in marriage a couple months ago and for reasons was not granted his blessing. I was put under as my parents were there, the procedure went fine and I woke up to see my sweet Preston there with a gentle smile on his face. He told me that while I was out it placed him and my father in ‘close’ proximity of each other to talk things out. It placed greater peace among the mind of my father granting him permission to pursue our relationship.

Through this experience we have the blessing of being where we are today, happily married and in good relations with our families. I have no doubt in my mind that this was made possible through the work of God. I could have looked at that experience and been totally miserable and thought forever “what was the point of that” but in fact God had given me a kidney stone and He was able to transform that into a diamond wedding ring. I know our prayers were answered, I will never doubt His influence, His ways and His desire to make us happy. Sometimes it’s painful but in the end it is all well worth it.