Landmarks and Angels: A Dream

Last night I dreamed of a series of months, each about four weeks long, on a calendar. The goal of each week was to get through that week toward the end result of being changed. It's difficult to describe such an abstract dream--only that the feeling of hope and excitement and striving stayed with me.

At its core, the strange dream was about earth life and progress. My hopes were about improving myself and helping others to progress as well. I think I was experiencing also the hopes of guardian angels on my behalf. They had goals--benchmarks, or maybe more aptly, landmarks--for me to reach so I would be on track for my destination, for my destiny.

Though this may sound self-centered, it was the opposite. I understood in this dream that my progress was tied up with the progress of those around me, and we were all connected--me and the angels and all the people in the world. Specifically, it mattered to my family what changes in myself I accomplished with the help of these angels, but others were affected, too... ripples.

Abigail first taught me the lesson of ripples, how even something seemingly small or brief in duration could send out life-altering and hugely influential ripples. We think of a baby as being helpless, powerless. But Abigail came with power, healing, and forgiveness.

Last night before I went to sleep, my tired mind slipped into thoughts of despair for my long human life. I've been reading made-up stories about immortals and thinking about the more difficult parts of life--the pain and the mundanity. I tried not to let those thoughts be my last thoughts before bed. Using all my practice in controlling my own mood and thoughts, I forced them into a hopeful direction. I remembered my cousin's dream, which she shared with me, of our blissful reunion with Abigail as a young girl in heaven. And I let myself feel hope for that blessed day--that long-awaited reunion.

It was enough.

A Difficult Question

Source: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/question-mark-question-response-1019820/

I was talking to someone while I was at Simulations Week and they asked me how many siblings I had. That was a very hard question to answer at the time. Did that include siblings in heaven? I almost wanted to reply that I had four siblings, because that was my usual answer. But now it was different, because of the birth and passing of Abby.

Luckily, families can be together forever. In fact, Families Can Be Together Forever is like Abigail's theme song. We sang it to her when she was born as shown here:

I had been asking God for quite a while for a sister. That is exactly what I got last February, just not in the way I thought. I expected a sister that would live on earth for a long time, but that wasn't quite the case. Abigail is even more special than I had imagined. An angel sibling is still a sibling.

So obviously, this question was not as difficult as I thought it was at the time. I have five siblings. Layne, Ben, Daniel, Corbin, Abigail, and any other siblings that may be waiting in heaven to come to live on the earth.

And I want to share my life with them through all eternity.

Upheld by My Righteous, Omnipotent Hand

I wrote this at the stroke of midnight last evening:

A verse popped into my head today. That happens quite often; music is my balm. Today it was from a hymn written by a regular person but in the first person voice of God. It strikes me every time we sing this in church that we are singing as if we are God speaking to us. Because it's church, we usually only get through three or four verses due to time constraints. But verse 7 has always been my favorite and that's the verse that went through my head and into my heart today:

How Firm a Foundation

Verse 7:

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

 I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;

 That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

 I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,

 I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!

 

 (Text: Attr. to Robert Keen, ca. 1787. Included in the first LDS hymnbook, 1835.

 Music: Attr. to J. Ellis, ca. 1889)

Maybe it is the number of times the promise is repeated that He will not forsake those who trust Him, but the power of this verse stays with me because it reminds me that God's promises are sure. Sure. Certain. All earthly promises are only a shadow and mimic of His promises. Though the heavens and the earth pass away, His word will not pass away but will all be fulfilled.

I'll end this with Verse 3, which is much more often sung in church and also bears the promise of aid and deliverance:

Verse 3:

Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,

 For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.

 I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

 Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,

 Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

I am in His hand.

And so are you.