Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013

Sunday, March 31

Before going to the clinic I wrote my thoughts on Easter for my family and friends in the United States. I had thought a lot about the resurrection and the power of Jesus Christ. For me the most important thing of the day was my desire to accept the will of God:

Today the world remembers the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  For me today is also a time to remember Lazarus, to remember that Jesus Christ is a God of Miracles with power to heal us in life and in death, with power to know our needs and love us in spite of our weaknesses.  He is strong enough to teach us hard lessons that hurt us, a difficult thing for a parent to do.

People often remember the last week of Christ’s earthly ministry, from the joy and hallelujahs of Palm Sunday through the betrayals and trials and smiting that led to the crucifixion and suffering of the cross.  And then remembering Gethsemane, He died so that we could follow Him to resurrection.

Last Sunday [before the meningitis] was a happy day and Monday we committed to make Monday nights more of a time for us together, a recommitment to Family Home Evening

Then I gave a description of the events of March 26 and continued:

Easter is a happy day, a day of rejoicing.  I rejoice with you and feel the love of my Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ.  I am grateful for life and for family and for my dear sweet loving companion. I have been blessed with friends and support in this hard time.  I pray that you will also feel loved and blessed.  

This morning I got to the hospital about 8:45 and the elders were already there.  They had stayed to talk with the doctor last night and couldn’t understand all the medical Spanish.  What they did catch was understand was something about a thrombosis.  The doctors were still analyzing the report.  

I was able to see Ken from 9 until 9:30. He moved his head around quite a few times and opened his mouth and moved the tube around. This afternoon he moved his shoulders and breathed/snorted a bit.  Then he moved his left shoulder and arm.  It was so different from the heavy dying body of so few days ago.  

It was hard to leave him to go to church with the Elders.  We visited a ward that is about three blocks away.  During the meeting a messenger from the Bishop came down to where I was sitting and asked if I would be willing to say the closing prayer.  It was a sweet privilege to pray on Easter Sunday in Spanish and thank Heavenly Father for his love and for the blessing of the resurrection and that we can also be healed physically and spiritually in this life.