I even told the car salesman that I loved my van and it was hard to let it go. He nodded with understanding but was that a sly glance at his watch on the downward bob? Was he holding back a yawn, as he held out a pen for us to sign on the dotted line, when I was feeling so tender? Was he sincere when he said he was sure someone somewhere somehow would enjoy my van and yet spewed out to Terry that there was no way he could give Terry what he wanted as a trade in with, uh, um....nearly 150,000 miles on it? Insinuating it was past it's prime, old, and getting run down. True--when Terry recently changed the oil (with me protesting he couldn't do it because of his stroke. Him doing it and then being totally exhausted for a day. or was that 2 days?) Anyhow when he changed the oil a little icon lit up on my dash board and signaled something was wrong, somewhere in hidden recesses.
Terry is precious. I didn't realize that he was that concerned about me traveling alone at night to visit other Wards or even taking a run up to the Temple. Even feeling he is precious didn't stop me from lamenting about my van longing...the space...the windows...the this. the that. blah. blah. blah.
Now it's the end of the day and time to let the van go and look to the brightness of having a lovely safe car that will take me wherever I desire to go and not cause Terry a bit of stress. How precious is a man that cares about his wife's safety and buys a car to take care of her.
I'm grateful for my car, my husband, my life and so thankful that I feel more centered in my spiritual self. More at peace. More on course. More aware of the necessity of doing what I know I need to do and do it on a regular routine basis.
All of life's challenges are covered by the atonement and that gift needs to be accessed in my own life. I used to think that the Atonement covered sin and all the sub-titles of sin. I was happy when I learned that the Atonement covers all pain/challenges/adversities. My taking that unplanned break time from what needs to be done in my spiritual upkeep made that Atonement fact sort of fade away. Now it is back and I'm glad. I need to keep working and pick things up a notch. I repented in the Temple for my spiritual neglect and that felt good. The Atonement brings power into our lives. It's restorative.
How does it work? I have no idea. I only know when you repent and ask for the gift/blessings of the Atonement to help you, then in the Lord's timing it will work.
"Since not all human sorrow and pain is connected to sin, the full intensiveness of the Atonement involved bearing our pains, infirmities, and sicknesses, as well as our sins. Whatever out sufferings, we can safely cast our 'care upon him; for he careth for us' (1 Peter 5:7)" --by Elder Neal A. Maxwell 1988
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"Some Church members feel weighed down with discouragement about the circumstance of their personal lives, even when they are making sustained and admirable efforts. Frequently, these feelings of self-disappointment come not from wrongdoing, but from stresses and troubles for which we may not be fully to blame. The Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to these experiences because it applies to all of life. The Savior can wipe away all of our tears, after all we can do...
"The Savior's atonement is...the healing power not only for sin, but also for carelessness, inadequacy, and all mortal bitterness. The atonement is not just for sinners." --by Bruce C. Hafen 1990
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"I testify that no one has or ever will experience any set of circumstances, be they disappointments, betrayal, pain, persecution, suffering, or whatever, that cannot and is not swallowed up in the Savior! You can feel no hurt, emotional or physical, that He has not already felt. There is no combination of human emotions or physical illness or suffering that cannot find refuge in the Savior's sacrifice for us. He knows how to help us. He wants to help us. Please let him."
--by Elder John H. Groberg 1994
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