Miracles:
My mom has not been feeling good for months. She didn't feel good enough to go to Utah this week to watch Hailey's play. But we prayed for a miracle that she would feel good enough to go to the temple, and she did. In fact a couple hours before the temple as she started to feel quite a bit better, she wondered if all of the pain has been in her head all along. It hasn't, but she felt good that day.
I felt protected as I drove to Idaho Falls by myself, as I had two near misses with semi-trucks...one who swayed into my lane but I saw it and pulled back, and another as I came around a corner and there was a semi on the shoulder and a car in the other lane, but I made it around okay.
Tristan's brother, Travis, had flown to Alabama so he could fly home with their daughter that was there going to college. Their flight was delayed due to thunderstorms, and they weren't sure he would make it to the temple session. But he got back to Idaho Falls with 20 minutes to spare and made it to the temple session.
When we were at the temple, we had changed into our white clothes and were ready. We went to receive our new names for the people we were doing the temple work for. I was the last to go of my mom and sisters and Lizzie. As I stepped into the booth, I thought- I know what name it is going to be because I have had a couple of special experiences with a certain name. Then they said a different name (which I have made a covenant not to disclose), but it was even more significant, especially to me and especially that day. I stepped through the curtain and all of my family looked at me and tears welled up in my eyes. I definitely felt that it was a message of love from heaven. I sat in the chapel with lots more tears.
The temple session was meaningful as we thought about the significance of the endowment covenants that we were doing for Tyce that day. Family, friends and the John's bishop were in the session with us. Everyone in the prayer circle was there for Tyce, plus one random couple.
As it was my turn at the veil, the tears flowed even more steady, but I was able to speak the words. The temple worker that helped me was the same lady who had been the leader of our session, and so she had watched my emotions all day - a small blessing.
We came outside to take a picture of everyone at the temple. The random guy who took our picture said, wow the sun is right there in the picture. It is really cool. That was Tyce. We have had several experiences where the sun has been right there in the last 3 months. Then we had Lizzie take a picture of Julie, my parents and the sisters that came to the temple, and the sun was a bright spot right at the top of our picture.
Other sun moments:
-At the cemetery on the day of Tyce's funeral, it was cloudy and breezy and it had snowed that morning. Then right as we were finishing, the sun peaked through.
-The next week on our sisters/mom trip to Oregon, it had rained and rained and rained. Then in the evening as we went for a walk on the beach, the sun peaked through the clouds, just for a couple minutes
-The day of the dedication of the new Tyce John baseball field, it has been cold and rainy. An hour before the dedication, a hail storm had blown through Idaho Falls. But by the time it started, it was warm and sunny. The sun shined down on a family picture of the family on the baseball diamond.
Back to the temple day...
On Saturday morning, Julie had wanted to have a spiritual thought about temple work and take some flowers to the cemetery. So I had the privilege of joining their family. Julie shared some thoughts about temple work and the endowment covenant. She also told about the picture of Jesus that a lady had given her that week and the testimony she had written along with it, as she had a son die recently also.
Tristan shared how he had fasted earlier in the week because he was anxious about the temple, and what if he expected too much and didn't feel Tyce or have the spiritual experience he expected. He shared that he had been given peace and felt that the most important thing was to have faith. I shared a couple experiences that Jill has had feeling Leighton near and the messages he gave her, but that that Austin hadn't ever felt his presence, so we all have different experiences.
After the temple, Tristan said that the day was perfect. It was exactly what it should be. He said he told every temple worker that he saw that he was doing the work for his son, Tyce. When you go through the temple for the first time, you get a name tag and get special treatment. So he wanted everyone to know that this was Tyce's first time and it made it more meaningful. Tristan said he was really emotional doing the initiatory work for Tyce, especially because you say the name of the person you are doing the temple work for so many times. Julie said the Spirit was strong in the prayer circle. Then Tristan felt his mind was clear during the session, with more emotion at the veil as you say the name again.
There were lots of tears and hugs in the Celestial Room. You almost didn't want to leave that feeling.
After the temple we had a delicious meal at the John's house. I am thankful I could go.
