I pulled the dripping green wand upward from the small plastic bottle, puckered my lips and blew. Oodles of bubbles swam dreamily through the air between my thirteen month old grandson and I. I watched as his face froze in amazement. He gasped and then his little voice began to trill a series of staccato giggles. I’m not sure who was more amazed, he or I? I saw him tremble with delight and then stomp his feet. As his giggles grew louder, the sounds of his pleasure soon filled the room with raw delight.
Just a few moments before, while searching for something to
ward off his boredom, I had discovered the unopened bottle of bubbles. I He was both amazed and bewildered,
over-joyed and mystified, happy for the opportunity to touch one, so round and
shiny and new, and then sad when with a barely audible pop they
disappeared. By touching the
fingertips of both of his hands together, he signed his desire, “more,
more”. I laughed and laughed and
then took another breath and blew.
I had not realized that this was the
first time he had seen bubbles. He took queue from our dogs Penny and Hobbes
and began trying first to touch them and then to eat.
Bubbles. They
are something to behold aren’t they? They are magical, light, and beautiful. They
swim through the air, and in the right circumstances we can both see, hold and
dance with them. They are transparent, wet, colorful mirrors of the air around
us.
Watching my young grandson experience joy for the first time
helped me recognize on a deeper level, the purpose of our bodies. I see my
grandson explore, touch, think, ponder, and reach for every new experience that
his parents and grandparents will allow. I watch daily as his language,
physical strength, and love for all of his surroundings grows. And I consider
the time I have here on earth.
Jacob taught the people about their time on earth and how
they too could experience not just a fleeting joy but also a more eternal joy.
He says that he has read the words of Isaiah so that they might know of the
covenants of God and understand that because of God’s great love for us, he
wants to bless us so that when we die we will see Him. He wants them to understand that our
bodies are our connection to God and to eternal joy. He spoke about spiritual
laws that bind us to heaven and to earth. He taught, “In our bodies we shall see God.”(vs 4)
When I read these verses for the umpteenth time… I’ve read it,
I’ve been taught it in Sunday school, I’ve probably even taught it, … this time
I had to stop and consider that I’ve never considered that for all those who
have passed on, for all of my deceased family members, the plan of salvation
allows them to stand on the day of their judgment in a resurrected body. I had to think about this because in my
mind I have this picture of my body remaining in the earth. I had to question?
… How many resurrected beings do I know? And remember that all of the prophets
of Jesus Christ have taught that in our bodies we shall see God.
So I considered this marvelous chapter in 2 Nephi and I read
about the plan for those who have not known God and I read about those who know
God and rebel. And for all of them.. they shall see God in their bodies. As I read I considered my grandson’s joy
and I considered how important our bodies are!
These verses helped me realize the importance of bodies, of
temple work for those who are separated from their bodies, and for missionary
work. And, it made me love my body
more.
It means that the temple work we do is so that when they
stand before God, they will have the opportunity to stand within a clean body:
one that has been baptized and given the opportunity to utilize the power of
the Holy Ghost.
Resurrection is for every body. It is for all who have lived
on the earth or who will ever live on the earth. It is part of God’s great plan
of happiness. If we are resurrected back into our bodies, now is the time for
us to learn to love our bodies and accept them as the gift that they are.
I love my body. It is not as thin as the models on the
tabloid magazines, but it is healthy. I cannot eat all that the world would
tempt me with for it does not bounce back from glutinousness bouts of frenzied
eating, but I can still enjoy the aroma and tastes of cinnamon apples. When I
look into the mirror the image no longer reflects a youthful smile, but it
walks gracefully beside my eternal companion. As I have aged it has continually increased my bodily limitations:
it does not run without pain, it requires and I mean requires eight hours of
regular sleep, though it still enjoys exercise it rebels at the mention of
excessive exercise, it creaks in new places and causes me to slow down even
when my mind wants to move, move, move. But as the years have progressed, I
have learned to love my body more.
Having a body… what was the Lord thinking? Consider how all
that we know comes from our body: the sweet smell of lilac on a spring day or
the sound of a rhythmic rain storm, the way colors magically turn into
happiness, the way a tender touch upon our arm warms our heart and how when we
reach out to hold a loved ones hands it connects generations, and the way well
prepared foods burst their flavors into memories. Joy comes to us because of our bodies.
When our spirits learn to appreciate all that our bodies
offer as testimony to God’s love, we then begin to open up to the possibility
of eternal joy.
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