One of the saddest times when you're a child is when a favorite toy breaks! I still remember many times taking toys to dad with big eyes asking, "Daddy can you fix this?"
My Dad always could.
My dad is an electrical engineer. The story goes that when he was three years old, he got a vacuum for Christmas, and that very day he took it apart and put it back together! He has been fixing things ever since. It is not unusual for him to be sitting in our kitchen with some electrical thing all taken apart with his tool box and all his doo-dads, thing-a-ma-bobs, and doo-hickies (his technical terms). He can't go on vacation without fixing Grandma's light switch, or the camping lantern, or somebody's something. I grew up knowing that my dad could fix anything. That's a very comforting thing for a child!
As I got older, I started to realize that some hurts are inside. But it's okay, because Dad can fix those too. With good advice and a big hug, things feel better. Going through college was not easy, but I'm grateful for the challenges because they helped me grow closer to my dad. It turns out some of my challenges are a lot like his, so he knew how to help.
Unfortunately, I don't get to have my dad around all the time. And as much as I hate to admit it, sometimes I run into things that he can't fix (at least not completely). These are times that I'm reminded gratefully that I have a Father in Heaven that can.
At institute last week, our teacher shared this story from President Packer:
No matter what breaks in my life, I know I have someone there that can make it all work out. How grateful I am for the fathers in my life!
My Dad always could.
My dad is an electrical engineer. The story goes that when he was three years old, he got a vacuum for Christmas, and that very day he took it apart and put it back together! He has been fixing things ever since. It is not unusual for him to be sitting in our kitchen with some electrical thing all taken apart with his tool box and all his doo-dads, thing-a-ma-bobs, and doo-hickies (his technical terms). He can't go on vacation without fixing Grandma's light switch, or the camping lantern, or somebody's something. I grew up knowing that my dad could fix anything. That's a very comforting thing for a child!
As I got older, I started to realize that some hurts are inside. But it's okay, because Dad can fix those too. With good advice and a big hug, things feel better. Going through college was not easy, but I'm grateful for the challenges because they helped me grow closer to my dad. It turns out some of my challenges are a lot like his, so he knew how to help.
Unfortunately, I don't get to have my dad around all the time. And as much as I hate to admit it, sometimes I run into things that he can't fix (at least not completely). These are times that I'm reminded gratefully that I have a Father in Heaven that can.
At institute last week, our teacher shared this story from President Packer:
"Over the years, as a diversion, I have carved wooden birds....It was very restful. Sometimes when I would get unsettled, my wife would say, “Why don’t you go carve a bird!” It was a very calming thing in my life.
Elder A. Theodore Tuttle and I were going into town one day. I had one of the carvings. ... We had put it on the backseat. At an intersection, he slammed on the brakes, and the carving tipped upside down on the floor and broke to pieces. He pulled over to the side and looked at it. He was devastated. I was not.
Without thinking, I said, “Forget it. I made it. I can fix it.” And I did. I made it stronger than it was. I improved it a bit.
Now, who made you? Who is your Creator? There is not anything about your life that gets bent or broken that He cannot fix and will fix. You have to decide. If some of you have made mistakes and you think you are broken and cannot be put together, you do not know the doctrine of the Church. You do not know what the Atonement was about and who the Lord is and what a power He is in your life." --Boyd K. Packer: The Instrument of Your Mind and the Foundation of Your Character. CES Fireside 2 February 2003.We can't break our lives past the point that God can't fix it! Because He made us and He loves us. Through Christ, He not only fixes things, He heals us and makes us stronger. When we go to Him with big sad eyes, asking "Daddy, can you fix this?" the answer is always yes.
No matter what breaks in my life, I know I have someone there that can make it all work out. How grateful I am for the fathers in my life!
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