tiger tail

Lincoln has a very special stuffed animal named "Tiger."  (I know... this is a very creative name). Sometimes he is called "Tiges."  When he is tired or sad he rubs the tigers tail right underneath his nose.  There have been a few occasions when he has offered the comfort of the tiger tail underneath your nose if he thinks you are sad.  He isn't always generous about sharing this precious tail.  Sometimes that is okay, because the tiger tail is quite dirty and discolored, and you are not sure you would want it anywhere near your nose.  But, you know it is a special thing when you get a little relief from the tiger tail.  I wanted him to rub his tiger tail under my nose today, as I thought it might help me feel better.  He wasn't feeling generous today.  We had a little family discussion about it.  Katelyn said that when she was "little," and was sad, she would chew on her rabbit's ear.  I have no recollection of this...so it may have been a creative memory.  Ethan wanted to get in on the conversation, but thought for a second, and realized he had no tiger tail and no rabbits ear. He also doesn't have as many "creative memories" as Katelyn. He simply said, "When I get sad, I just go in my room and cry..." Well said.  I do that too... sometimes. 

I went to the temple this morning and had a beautiful experience there.  As I drove, I thought about why I was going.  I thought to myself that "I don't know what else to do right now..."  I was happy that my cognitive process to get to temple was nothing more than that.  I likened it to our brain stems.  Our brain stems control our breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.  It requires no thought from us and continues all day and night without any effort.  Without a brain stem we would all die.  I thought that some of the things that we need to be able to do without much cognitive effort are the basic things like praying, reading scriptures, and going to the temple.  It should be so programmed in us that when our higher cognitive function isn't working, hopefully this part is. Hopefully we can do these things when we don't know what else to do.  I am not pretending that these things don't take effort.  I'm also not pretending that I am so righteous and holy that I just do these things automatically.  I'm definitely not.  But, I am grateful that these things have become a part of my very survival... long before this year, so that I can fall back and count on these things to keep me spiritually alive when other parts of me don't feel so alive.  Thank goodness God has given us all access to the power that, truly is, mighty to save.  He has given us access to His power... the power of the priesthood; it can sustain, carry, and literally save us from any trial or struggle.

I read this talk a couple of days ago, but one part of it has been stuck in my head ever since.  It was meaningful to me right now, so I wanted to share.


"After speaking of sufferings so exquisite to feel and so hard to bear, Jesus said, “I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they [and that means you and I and everyone] might not suffer if they would repent” (D&C 19:16). In our moments of pain and trial, I guess we would shudder to think it could be worse, but without the Atonement it not only could be worse, it would be worse. Only through our faith and repentance and obedience to the gospel that provided the sacred Atonement is it kept from being worse."

The entire talk is worth reading.  It is by Jeffrey R. Holland, after all...

Lessons from Liberty Jail