My Favorite Quote

I heard this quote by Virginia H. Pearce several years ago on a BYU television series entitiled Messiah. I echo her words:

"I believe there is a sense of loneliness in every human heart, and separation, that we don’t talk very much about. But if you look at the way we behave, we’re acting to fill that loneliness. Everyone does. You know, will money make me feel less hollow, is there one person out there I can love and then I will never feel lonely again? Will my children if I have enough of them and they’re good enough, will they make me so I will never be lonely again? No. No. We are lonely animals. That is the nature of the mortal condition. Because we are separated from God. And so when we talk about the final winding up scene, I think the unfathomable part about it will be that that will be gone. That we will be back in His presence, and we will feel complete, we will feel whole, we will feel safe, we will feel part of everyone. We will all be just awash in this heavenly love of God, and the Savior. That’s what He is about, is bringing the whole human family into that circle. I think when we use the word encircled in His arms, that’s all of us together. The whole human family who confess His name and partake of that will be reunited in love in a way that we can only imagine now."

I struggled with rather severe postpartum depression after Max without being aware of it for a long time. But I guess why it was difficult to recognize is because I loved my life, so I couldn't figure out what was wrong. And I see around me that most of us do struggle at some time or another. Whether the loss of a loved one, sickness, bad choices, one's circumstances, body chemistry or heredity put us at the breaking point, we all will feel at some point in our lives that poignant sense of loneliness that is part of the human experience.

But the good news is we don't have to stay there. Because the Savior has promised "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you" (John 14:18).

  Painting by Justin Kunz obtained from lds.org

I am so grateful for a Savior that suffered not only for sin, sickness, and death, but also for fear and loneliness and depression. I know He lives, I know He loves me, and I feel His comfort time and again when I take the opportunity. And when the loneliness increases I know it's often because I have some growing and learning to do that will make me happier and better than before. It is just hard to "have to wait and be patient" as Prairie Dawn tells a frustrated Cookie Monster waiting for his cookies. But I am trying and keeping my chin up. :)