SAVIORS ON MT. ZION

SAVIORS ON MT. ZION

Gracie’s first time to the temple was this past Saturday.

Waiting this day over the years felt painfully long to her.

Her baptism day years ago, she just kept saying how she wished she could do it again, and then yet again.

Boy, do we have good news for you, we laughed.

She's had a literal countdown she’s kept a wildly anticipated eye on like it was her job.

Spending late nights past her bad time journaling to me many, many times about her wonderment of it all.

Her pull to the temple has been tangible.

She knew she wanted to go to the Mesa temple for her first time, so we did.

Outside of temple dedications, I haven’t been to a baptistry font since I was filmed for the temple training videos 8 years.

They still play those.

But I haven’t be in a font for over a decade.

Ben is incredibly passionate about family history. He loves it so much that he’ll look up and visit family graves, even far and across many different states.

He printed out some family names. Gracie cut them out.

Zion ripples.

Walking into the chapel in our whites, Gracie in between Ben and I while waiting, her hair pulled back.

I couldn’t look away, how did she get this big???

The temple President actually came to speak to Gracie, looked into her eyes without blinking—

'Doing something others can’t do for themselves...

You are a savior.

Saviors on mount Zion!'

He told her she would hear her name, she would hear the name of Jesus,

‘Every time you hear your names together,

every ordinance, every baptism,

is a meeting with Jesus.

Meeting up with Him on the covenant path.”

Walking into the baptistry with the gorgeous greens and tiles, I see the most massive mural of the Susquehanna River with Joseph and Oliver. Massive. We lived on that river up until just several months ago. And you know me— having such a massive ode to church history?! On a day like today with my daughter? God was hyper-aware of me. Of us.

How could it feel both like my heart stopped, yet was beating out of my chest at the same time?

Holding hands with my Gracie girl.

A decade, I think, since my husband baptized me.

Him getting choked up during each family name he said, again, and then yet again.

Hearing our names with our Jesus. Our meeting with Him.

Gracie smiling the way only one could when their soul bursts at the seams from the inside.

I caught a glimmer of it coming through, I'm sure of it.

After my turn, I couldn’t help but drop my towel in the puddle I created while watching, and grab her head with both my hands, and pulled her in for a forehead kiss.

Leaving to her was both gratitude and grief.

To describe her and her experience, loving is an understatement,a tethered belonging that's made it impossible to count how many times in less than 24 hours

she's daydreamed, and planned, begged to go back again, and then again.

Sundays and Mondays seem so unfair. Her going to school, having siblings that can't be by themselves, fully-booked temple schedule seem so unfair.

lol<3

Ben is still coming back again, and then yet again, with more and more he discovers about those family members from yesterday.

What a privilege it is to be part of it all.

Sipping from a saucer because my cup overfillith.

xoxAL