I read the caption of an essay that said “Come as you are, bring what you have…” and I had no idea how valuable that bit of wisdom would be for me as this last week progressed. Earlier this week, I received some devastating news that two of my dear friends have cancer. 😞 As I was praying for them and their families, I started to ponder all those who I love that are in the midst of trials and devastating loss. February is a challenging month for me as it brings forward the memories of my son Michael’s death. And although this is very difficult, his passing has given me a greater gratitude for our Savior’s atonement.
On Friday my wonderful friend, John Lauck, who was the President and CEO of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals passed away from the complications of a biking accident. It was so incredibly tragic and unexpected and has thrown so many of us that loved and admired him into enormous grief. He was not only a deeply valued friend but a mentor to me and has blessed my life in so many ways as we worked closely together. He was a leader of impact that inspired all that knew him and he paved the way to bless millions of children’s lives in our hospitals. I know how deeply I will miss him, but the devastation for his wife, Alison, and their children cannot be measured!!! I felt so very, very small in what I could do for them, but that one sentence kept coming back to me, “come as you are, bring what you have.” No one can take the awful pain away for this wonderful family, but when we all come together as it says in Galatians “to bear ye one another’s burdens,” our love and support will always help and WILL always make a difference! 🙏 I love you Alison ♥️
That sentence came up again for me this week when I learned of the passing of the young daughter of yet another dear friend of mine, Paul Sorrell. He has been my attorney and friend for so long and again one of the great men I admire and am blessed to know! His sweet daughter Brynne Catherine Sorrell—age 26 and a graduate of University of Utah where she was president of Chi Omega—passed away from a cancer called Ewings Sarcoma. Brynne is Paul’s “superstar” as he says, and her passing has left a deep hole inside his heart. I love you Paul ♥️
I know the pain of losing a child, but I also remember the people who were there for me, who came as they were and brought what they had from their life experiences, and it all came with love. It feels inadequate to simply “be there,” but that act of simple support is so breathtakingly beautiful, healing and important. “Come as you are, bring what you have.” ♥️
This week also brought a unique “chance” conversation with a grieving mother who had recently lost her son. The “chance” part was that she sent a text to my phone accidentally. She didn’t know who I was and I didn’t know who she was, but reading her text and hearing she had lost her only child made me want to call and tell her I understood and that she was loved. We did get in touch and connected on a deep level. It was a blessing to both of us! She was able to find someone who truly understood and listened as she shared her difficult story and it also gave me the opportunity to express on a deep level my own sorrow about my son Michael. We were there for each other! I believe our meeting was not a coincidence but another opportunity to “come as you are, bring what you have.” Was her text to me by Chance? I think God knows what He’s doing! 😉
This week has been filled with the sadness of life. Death is the most difficult thing we face, it’s part of the plan but so hard. There is one thing I know for sure, the Lord is aware of how difficult death is for us. Remember when Lazarus had died and Mary and Martha were so sad? After the Savior arrived at their home He stopped to mourn with them before He performed His greatest miracle. Mary and Martha didn’t know Lazarus was to be raised from the dead, but the Savior did. In John 11:35 it says “Jesus Wept.” He wept with them because He knew they were in pain. He didn’t waste platitudes about how they would see Lazarus in the resurrection, (although that brings me great peace and gratitude to my Savior for the atonement) instead the Savior “brought what he had” which was love and understanding.
I know many of you are struggling with the death of a loved one so I want to include a quote from Corrie Tin Bloom in her book “The Hiding Place” that was comforting to me… “Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for a future that only He can see.”
One of my favorite parts of the Old Testament is the story of Job who through some terrible trials allowed the Atonement to make him more holy. He lost everything, his wealth, his family and even his health but still kept his focus and gratitude on the Lord. Today people lose family members and beloved friends through accidents or challenging illness, they lose jobs and money ...but just like Job you can not lose the love from our Father in Heaven. It’s impossible!!! And just like Job when we focus on the Lord and lean on the Atonement, God will bless us more than we can ever know or imagine.
As we “come as we are, bring what we have” we can be His hands in the most difficult of times for those around us. Not only will we bless them but we will be blessed in our own trials by serving others. God bless you all and especially those who are mourning at this time. I love you… xo Marie💋 #SundayMessage