Thursday, May 3, 2012

My kindness shall not depart from thee

So there I was. Driving through a canyon in Idaho, at a rate of speed that would have made Dale Earnhardt Jr. tremble. Midway through my qualifying session, another vehicle approached. Who was it, you might ask? I'll give you a hint: it wasn't the Schwan's man. It was an Idaho State Trooper. He followed procedure, I submitted, and I walked away with a rather expensive date with the court system. The first thought that entered my mind was, for sure my mother would not forgive me for it. Primarily because she specifically warned me not to speed. Knowing my tendencies, she provided ample warning which I chose not to follow. What happened next, will never be forgotten. My mom forgave me.
A beloved scripture of mine comes from the words of the prophet Isaiah. It reads, "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee." There is nothing on this planet that can seperate us from the Love of God. The Apostle Paul knew this very well. (See Romans 8:35-39) But there is one thing that can. Ourselves. God will forgive us of all of our wrongs, if we are truly repentant. We can always come back to Him. His kindness shall not depart from us, but we far too often depart from Him.
That mercy that I felt from my mother, will not be forgotten. I learned a very important lesson from that experience. And the love I felt from both of my parents, provided all the rebuking I needed. When we make a mistake, we feel that the Loving Arm of Jesus Christ cannot reach the depths to which we have sunk. How little do we know about His atoning sacrifice, if that is the case. Elder C. Scott Grow said it best, "There is no sin or transgression, pain or sorrow, which is outside of the healing power of His Atonement."
This is a truth of which I have a personal testimony of. And I give my personal witness, that there is nothing that can seperate us from the love and kindness of the Great God of the universe. Stay classy.
Elder Hill

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