The Love of God

This week, we helped Karyn make another trifle:). This time, it was chocolate.  And we all nearly died from the wonderful sugar 😄

We had a mission tour with Elder Jörg Klebingat of the Seventy.  He had a special meeting with us missionaries and we were able to learn so much from him.  He is so bold and straight to the point.  He called us to repentance many times and challenged us to prepare for the gathering of Israel and Second Coming of Christ.  He's also very funny.  During the meeting, his father wanted to FaceTime and he accepted the call right in the middle and had a fun conversation in German with his dad while all of us watched:). The meeting was almost all day and I was able to sit in the very front row, in the middle.  When he talked with us, he was on the ground a lot so he was standing only a couple feet from me, most of the day!

One of the analogies he told us about was when a little girl gets out a piece of paper and some crayons and all out in drawing a masterpiece picture, she'll then waddle over and show it to her parents or grandparents.  And then, universally, what does every loving parent or grandparent do?  They lie.  They take that picture that really has no worth in the artist world and elevate it.  They'll tell her it's wonderful and laminate it and save it in a file or put it up on the fridge and rejoice in it.  And why do they do that?  Because they know that at that moment, that very place and hour, she has presented to them the very best she could do.  What would the loving parents not do?  They would not compare that little girl's work with an older sibling's drawing and tell her to try a little harder.  There would be absolutely no comparison at all.  So if mortal, fallen parents and grandparents do this, why do many of us believe that we have that kind of relationship with our perfect and loving Heavenly Father?  We are all acceptable to God.  There is absolutely nothing we have to do or can do to earn an "acceptable" title from our Heavenly Father.  He loves us as we are, and He will bestow all of heaven's blessings on us the very moment we decide to turn towards Him and return to Him.

I love this gospel and I know the Atonement works.  I know we are children of a Heavenly Father who cherishes us and we have a loving Savior who is cheering us on in our every effort to make it back.

Sister Ririe

Christmas party with Allison!