We don't miss the water until the well goes dry and we
don't really miss our loved ones until they die.
We just came back from California and found that our
well is going dry little by little. We now have just enough water for
the use of the house and can't water our flowers or our garden.
Suddenly our water becomes more important to us and we
appreciate what we have and give thanks that we have as much as we do.
At every turn we are reminded of the wonderful blessing of the water
from the well.
We have two big bags of peas to shell. I brought in
some big beautiful beets to steam for dinner using the greens and
pickling the beets. There is a big pan of Blackberries sitting on the
table ready to be processed and eaten. The tomato vines are starting
to bloom, the carrots and radishes are doing well and the pole beans
are starting to put on. The sweet corn is only about a foot high but
will soon be giving us delicious sweet corn on the cob if we can keep
it watered some way. The almond and Pecan trees are loaded with new
nuts and the apples and peaches are coming along. We have been able to
take five or six vases of beautiful flowers to church every Sunday
that we have been here. I need to mention the apricots and the figs,
the onions and the medicinal herbs and all of the beauty and bounty of
our lot. All of this because of the water that gives life to us and
all of the plants. We have not taken all of these blessings for
granted but have given thanks continually for them but it has been
brought especially to our minds at this time.
In this desert country we especially appreciate the
rain. We constantly pray for rain and give thanks for the rain that we
receive. Probably we are more aware of our dependency on our Heavenly
Father for rain than say, in the state of Washington and Oregon where
rain might even become unwelcome at times.
I sometimes feel that we don't appreciate enough the
spiritual water that we constantly need to satisfy the thirst of our
soul and spirit. I am sure that we would certainly miss more
poignantly the spiritual food and water of the Scriptures and the
counsel of our Prophets and church leaders if suddenly they were taken
away as they were in the dark ages. Certainly we would miss our daily
inspiration and revelation that we constantly need to guide and help
us in our lives. What a terrible thing it would be if we could not
pour out our hearts to our Heavenly Father in prayer at all times. I
feel that we need to use the spiritual water that we constantly have
more than we do and give thanks for it. Without it certainly we would
wither and die spiritually in a very short time.
One of the greatest human needs is to love and be
loved. True love and spiritual bonding can only be achieved when we
are married and become one with our mate. Giving our all to the
commitment of making our spouse happy. Our capacity to love expands
when we are married for time and eternity and our eternal companion is
sealed to us in Holy Matrimony in the Temple. Our posterity are born
in the covenant and we have a firm base for an eternal family. Our
need to love and be loved is filled and becomes secure and our love is
nurtured day by day and can grow eternally. In our eternal
relationship we don't need to worry about the well going dry and even
if we are parted for a season our eternal love can continue on through
eternity.
We recently attended the wedding of our Grandson Chad
and his lovely bride Anel. She is a very organized and tough business
woman and was all business with all of the preparations for the
wedding and the reception. When she entered the sealing room of the
Temple and was kneeling across the alter holding her beloved by the
right hand the tears of gratitude and joy began to flow. At the end of
the ceremony and she gazed at the ring on her finger the tears and the
sobs came and continued as she hugged and clung to each of her loved
ones and friends. The sister who was assisting in the Temple was busy
exchanging dry Kleenex for wet ones. The spirit was strong and she
felt the magnitude of being sealed for time for all eternity and felt
that she had come home to find eternal love and companionship. The
more they drink of the waters of love the more the waters will
increase and flow. If each will give lavishly of their love and
service their capacity to love will increase as they extend their love
to their children and all who touch their lives. The more the waters
of love are used the capacity of the well increases and will never go
dry unless love is not expressed and given unselfishly. When the
garden of our lives is watered with love, kindness and service it
flourishes and grows into a life of love and beauty. Our capacity to
find joy and happiness is in direct relationship with our capacity to
love.
We express our love and gratitude to each of you for
your lives of goodness and service. We feel your love for us and thank
you for it. We feel especially secure in the love our Heavenly Father
and His Son Jesus Christ have for each of us. We know that their well
of love will never go dry. Even if we turn willfully away and find
ourselves thirsty and hungry we can turn and come back and find
security and love in them.