As the Christmas Season approached this year, I never had or found much time to really reflect on the true meaning of this Holiday, our Savior Jesus Christ. I felt a void as the days quickly crept by in December and although we had a fabulous Christmas spending time with all sides of our family and enjoying the many gifts we were able to give and receive, I didn't really feel that burning truth of the Savior, his life, his power, and his influence in my life until today, the morning after Christmas.
Trav's Uncle Don passed away this morning. Yesterday we received a call from Diann informing us that Don was in the hospital and things were not looking too good at the time. He was on full life support, and they weren't letting any family members in to see him, so we planned on coming the next day, today, in the afternoon. We went to bed and got a call at 6:30am telling us that Don wasn't going to make it more than a hour or so so we jumped in the car and rushed to the ICU in Salt Lake (a place that I DO NOT want to frequent often!)
We arrived and got to see Don, his Brain was not functioning but they were keeping him alive in hopes that his children from back East could get here in time to see him. However, it was his time to go and as Travis and I, along with many other members of the Sessions family gathered around, Don's amazingly strong wife, Aunt Kathy, talked him through the process as his heart beat dropped slowly. I've never had that experience before, sitting there watching the computer screen with numbers that actually represent the life of someone you love. I will always remember that moment when the heart monitor reached zero. The whole time, Kathy continued to talk to Don about being free from his body that held him back, letting go, and joining his family on the other side.
At that moment, in the little room in the ICU, my heart burned inside of me because I now felt what Christmas was all about. Our Savior and his atoning blood that made it possible for us to return to live with our Father in Heaven, and be families forever. I am so grateful for the testimony that I have and that this family has. I feel so sorry for those who do not know or believe that there is life after death. The Savior was born, He lived, He atoned for our sins, He died and He now lives again, for us! I fully believe that through trials our testimonies grow and we become closer to our Father and Heaven and our families. I am grateful to have been there, to see first hand how the Savior plays apart in our lives. I know this church is true, and that the Savior lives. Thank you Don for your wonderful life and example. You will be truly missed in this life!
2 comments:
So sad! It's sad when someone passes, but we do know where they are. It's a comfort, I can't imagine, losing family and not knowing. Other than this I hope you guys had a good Christmas. We're excited to see you guys on Wednesday!
Brittney,
I am Travis' cousin and I want to thank you for your beautiful testimony. Those words helped to heal my heart over his death. I hope you have a great new year and good luck in all you guys do!
Shawna
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