My thoughts turned to what the Savior taught. He was able to teach the most sublime truths using simple stories. His parables invited His disciples to embrace truths not just with their minds but also with their hearts. I invite you to listen with the Spirit. The Holy Ghost will help you to find the message for you in this parable.
This story is about a girl named Eva. She was 11 years old. She did not want to go visit her Great-Aunt Rose while her mother was recovering from a lengthy surgery. She didn’t want to leave her family and friends and she didn’t even know Great-Aunt Rose.
From the moment Eva stepped inside the house, she hated it. Everything was old. Great-Aunt Rose lived alone. She had never married. She had a gray crazy cat. The house itself seemed lonely. No one lived close by.
At first she didn’t pay attention to Great- Aunt Rose. She mostly spent her time thinking about her mom and praying she would get better soon. Over time Eva felt God was watching over her. Eva got word her mom would be ok. Now all she had to do was endure till the end of summer.
With her mind now at ease, Eva began to notice Great-Aunt Rose a little more. She was a large woman. Everything about her was large: her voice, her smile, her personality. She had a hard time getting around but she always sang and laughed while she worked. Every night Aunt Rose would pull out the scriptures and read out loud. And every night they would kneel by Eva’s bed and Aunt Rose would offer the most beautiful prayers. She would thank her Heavenly Father for the blue jays and the spruce trees, for the sunsets and the stars and the wonders of being alive. It sounded to Eva as though Rose knew God as a friend.
Over time Eva discovered that Great-Aunt Rose was quite possibly the happiest person she had ever known! But how could that be? What did she have to be happy about? She had never married. She had no children and only that creepy cat to keep her company. She wore embarrassing hats when they went to town. But people didn’t laugh at her. Instead they wanted to talk to her. Rose had been a schoolteacher. Past students would thank her for the good influence she had been on their lives. They often laughed and cried together.
As summer progressed Eva and Aunt Rose spent more time together. They went on long walks. She learned so much about nature from Aunt Rose. She learned about her ancestors. She learned that not only was Great-Aunt Rose one of the happiest people she knew, most of all she learned that she was happier when she was around Great- Aunt Rose.
Summer was coming to an end and now Eva wasn’t looking forward to going home as she once was. The day before she was to go home she asked, “Aunt Rose, why are you so happy? Aunt Rose looked at her and then took her to a painting that hung in the front room of a girl in a pioneer dress skipping along a bright blue path. The grass and trees were vibrant green. “What do you see there?” she asked. “It’s a painting of a girl who looks like she’s skipping,” replied Eva. “Yes, it is a pioneer girl skipping along happily,” said Aunt Rose. “I imagine there were many dark and dreary days for the pioneers. Their lives were so hard- we can’t even imagine. But in this painting, everything is bright and hopeful. The girl has a spring in her step, and she is moving forward and upward.”
Eva sat in silence thinking and Aunt Rose continued, “There is enough that doesn’t go right in life so anyone can work themselves into a puddle of pessimism and a mess of melancholy. But I know people who, even when things don’t work out, focus on the wonders and miracles of life. These folks are the happiest people I know.”
“But,” Eva said, “You can’t just flip a switch and go from sad to happy.” “No, perhaps not, but God didn’t design us to be sad. He created us to have joy. So if we trust him, He will help us to notice the good, bright, hopeful things of life. And sure enough, the world will become brighter. No, it doesn’t happen instantly, but honestly, how many good things do? Seems to me that the best things, like homemade bread take patience and work,“said Aunt Rose.
Eva thought about it for a moment and said, “Maybe it’s not so simple for people who don’t have everything perfect in their lives.” “Dear Eva, do you really think that my life is perfect? “ replied Aunt Rose. “There was a time when I was so discouraged I didn’t want to go on.”
“You?” Eva asked. Aunt Rose nodded. “There were so many things I wished for in my life. As she spoke a sadness entered her voice that Eva had never heard before. “Most of them never happened. It was one heartbreak after another. One day I realized that it would never be the way I had hoped for. That was a depressing day. I was ready to give up and be miserable.”
“So what did you do?” asked Eva. “Nothing for a time. I was just angry. It’s not fair was the song I sang over and over in my head. But eventually I discovered something that turned my whole life around, “replied Aunt Rose.
“What was it?” asked Eva. “Faith,” Aunt Rose smiled. “I discovered faith. And faith led to hope. And faith and hope gave me confidence that one day everything would make sense, that because of the Savior, all the wrongs would be made right. After that, I saw that the path before me wasn’t as dreary and dusty as I had thought. I began to notice the bright blues, the fiery reds, and I decided I had a choice- I could hang my head and drag my feet on the dusty road of self-pity, or I could have a little faith, put on a bright dress, slip on my dancing shoes, and skip down the path of life, singing as I went. I had talked myself into being miserable! Yes, I had some dark days, but all my brooding and worrying wasn’t going to change that- it was only making things worse. Faith in the Savior taught me that no matter what happened in the past, my story could have a happy ending.”
“How do you know that,” asked Eva. Aunt Rose grabbed the Bible and opened it and read, “God… will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them… and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain... eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” “Isn’t that the most beautiful thing you’ve ever heard? With such a glorious future, why get swallowed up in the past or present things that don’t go quite the way we planned?”
Eva was confused. “Are you saying that being happy means just looking forward to happiness in the future? Is all our happiness in eternity? Can’t some of it happen now?” “Of course it can!” Aunt Rose exclaimed. “Dear child, now is part of eternity. It doesn’t only begin after we die! Faith and hope will open your eyes to the happiness that is placed before you. I know a poem that says, Forever- is composed of Nows. I didn’t want my forever to be composed of dark and fearful Nows. And I didn’t want to live gritting my teeth, closing my eyes and resentfully enduring to the bitter end. Faith gave me the hope I needed to live joyfully now!”
“So what did you do,” Eva asked. “I exercised faith in God’s promises by filling my life with meaningful things- went to school, got an education that led to a career.” Eva thought for a moment, “but surely being busy isn’t what made you happy. There are a lot of busy people who aren’t happy.” Aunt Rose responded lovingly, “You are absolutely right. And most of those busy, unhappy people have forgotten the one thing that matters most in the world- the thing Jesus said is the heart of His gospel. Its love- the pure love of Christ. You see, everything else in the gospel- the shoulds and musts and thou shalts- lead to love. When we love God, we want to serve Him. We want to be like Him. When we love our neighbors, we stop thinking about our own problems and help others to solve theirs.”
“And that is what makes us happy?” Eva asked. Great-Aunt Rose nodded and smiled, her eyes filling with tears. “Yes, my dear. That is what makes us happy.”
The next day Eva gave Aunt Rose a big hug and left for home never to forget all she had done for her. She was never quite the same. She grew up, raised a family and lived a wonderful long life. She was always so thankful for her dear Great-Aunt Rose who taught her about faith, hope and love.
My beloved sister, I hope something has touched you about this story. I know that God lives and that He loves each and every one of you. As you walk along your own bright path, I pray that faith will fortify every footstep along your way; that hope will open your eyes to the glories Heavenly Father has in store for you; and that the love for God and all His children will fill your hearts. As an Apostle of the Lord, I leave this as my testimony and blessing in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
President Uchtdorf
(General Women’s Conference Sept 2015)
This story touched my heart. I know we will all have hardships in our lives. Things won’t always go as we have planned. But I pray that at this Christmas season and throughout our lives we can turn to our Savior and through following him we can have Joy in the Journey.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
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