My mom shared this story with me awhile back and asked if I thought it would be appropriate for her blog. I think there are a lot of lessons we can get out of it. So here you go:
We got to the glacier, and Alan and I were on the side that was the farthest from the glacier. The mother who had stayed there for a long time got up and hurried to the other side of the ship. As she left she explained that she had waited far too long to miss it now.
Actually, several people were hurrying to that side of the ship. At first, I started to panic. Should we hurry to the other side? We had waited for a long time. Would we miss it now? Then the daughter made a comment that really hit my heart. " Either you trust the captain, or you don't!"
Those words really calmed me down. Why would the captain make a promise like that if he didn't have the ability or intention to keep it? Of course, we could trust him.
That felt like a message from the Holy Ghost to me.
We had to wait for awhile, but eventually we could tell that the ship was turning around. Because we had trusted in the captain, we had peace of mind while we were waiting. We also had the comfortable seats that we had been sitting in without the crowds of people who had rushed to the other side of the ship.
Those words, " You either trust the captain, or you don't!" have often come into my mind in the months that have followed.
When I was first diagnosed with ALS, I wondered how I could go on living knowing that I was going to die. I cried that I was going to lose so much. I cried that so many plans would go unfulfilled. I cried that I was going to have to leave so many people whom I love so much.
I have learned that I can live without lots of things, and that I can still feel like I have a happy and fulfilling life. I was so upset about losing the ability to write. This computer has made up for that. What has surprised me is how much I have missed scratching places that itch, and using my hands to get flies and mosquitoes to leave me alone. Those were things that I totally took for granted when my hands worked.
I have also learned that when Elder Uchtdorf said that you do better enduring trials if you focus on your blessings, he was exactly right. We all want things that seem out of our reach. They might be good things, even righteous things, but if we only think about what we don't have we can make ourselves miserable and then we won't even realize what we do have that is wonderful.
More than anything else, I think, I have learned that trusting the real Captain, even Heavenly Father, is essential right now. One of my favorite scriptures is found in Romans, " All things will work for good for them that love the Lord." I certainly do love Jesus Christ. That's an easy thing to do. Trusting is sometimes harder for me.
I believe that eternity is a very long time. I think that this earth life will seem very short some day. I want to think back on this part of my life and be able to honestly say that I tried to learn the most that I could learn and that I finished this earth life in a way pleasing to Him.
About a week ago, I started feeling really sad about having to leave my family in a short time. My breathing is getting more shallow. I am not afraid to die. I am afraid of what I will have to go through before I die. For a few days, though, I kept thinking about how much I love my family and how much I don't want to leave them. I started crying really hard about it. Poor Emily cried with me. Alan gave me a priesthood blessing. That helped. Since then, I have been praying that Heavenly Father will carry me. He has done that. I appreciate Him with every inch of my heart!
Those words really calmed me down. Why would the captain make a promise like that if he didn't have the ability or intention to keep it? Of course, we could trust him.
That felt like a message from the Holy Ghost to me.
We had to wait for awhile, but eventually we could tell that the ship was turning around. Because we had trusted in the captain, we had peace of mind while we were waiting. We also had the comfortable seats that we had been sitting in without the crowds of people who had rushed to the other side of the ship.
Those words, " You either trust the captain, or you don't!" have often come into my mind in the months that have followed.
When I was first diagnosed with ALS, I wondered how I could go on living knowing that I was going to die. I cried that I was going to lose so much. I cried that so many plans would go unfulfilled. I cried that I was going to have to leave so many people whom I love so much.
I have learned that I can live without lots of things, and that I can still feel like I have a happy and fulfilling life. I was so upset about losing the ability to write. This computer has made up for that. What has surprised me is how much I have missed scratching places that itch, and using my hands to get flies and mosquitoes to leave me alone. Those were things that I totally took for granted when my hands worked.
I have also learned that when Elder Uchtdorf said that you do better enduring trials if you focus on your blessings, he was exactly right. We all want things that seem out of our reach. They might be good things, even righteous things, but if we only think about what we don't have we can make ourselves miserable and then we won't even realize what we do have that is wonderful.
More than anything else, I think, I have learned that trusting the real Captain, even Heavenly Father, is essential right now. One of my favorite scriptures is found in Romans, " All things will work for good for them that love the Lord." I certainly do love Jesus Christ. That's an easy thing to do. Trusting is sometimes harder for me.
I believe that eternity is a very long time. I think that this earth life will seem very short some day. I want to think back on this part of my life and be able to honestly say that I tried to learn the most that I could learn and that I finished this earth life in a way pleasing to Him.
About a week ago, I started feeling really sad about having to leave my family in a short time. My breathing is getting more shallow. I am not afraid to die. I am afraid of what I will have to go through before I die. For a few days, though, I kept thinking about how much I love my family and how much I don't want to leave them. I started crying really hard about it. Poor Emily cried with me. Alan gave me a priesthood blessing. That helped. Since then, I have been praying that Heavenly Father will carry me. He has done that. I appreciate Him with every inch of my heart!
Always thinking of you guys. Lots and lots of hugs and kisses! I am grateful for your honesty and optimism- both hard to come
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I think about you as I read tyler books that say "mrs. Niederhauser" :)
Trusting the Captain....what a beautiful message. Blessings to you and your family.
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