Where Earth and Heaven Meet

In receiving Garrett's name this year it took me some thinking of how I could best serve in his honor. I love this tradition because it isn't about material things, and sometimes it isn't even about the service, but for me it is thinking about your assigned person and trying to act in their honor and growing closer to them through your service.

I thought and prayed about the best way to honor Garrett. The answer came but not in the usual way; no food bank to donate to, no kids to help, no money to charity. The answer came while sitting in a sealing room. I debated back and forth if this was too sacred for me to share on the blog fearing that my words will not be able to fully explain the beautiful experiences that I have had in praying to honor Garret, but I have decided to post it for now in hopes that those reading will have an open heart to try to understand through the spirit instead of my words.

Our temple is closing next week for an estimated 18 month renovation. The temple has been rather busy lately with people feeling the rush to go before it closes. A few months ago, I sat in a regular sealing session. There were 3 couples plus 3 grey haired single women in the session. Each couple took a turn as proxies and then I saw that there was a stack of couple names to be done but the sealer was hesitant on how best to use these 3 sweet ladies.

The session was coming to a close and 1 of these women had not had a chance to do any work yet.  This moment became very deep symbolically to me and my spiritual eyes were opened. The yearning I had for this woman to have the opportunity, even if just by proxy, to kneel across from a worthy priesthood holder (not to mention such a handsome one :) were consuming me. So when the sealer asked that Michael and I return to the altar I asked, "Is there any way I could let one of these beautiful women have a turn" the sealer smiled and explained that he never knows because he has had some people very passionate about not doing proxy sealings with anyone except their spouse but that he was grateful for me being able to share my husband to allow her the opportunity.

It was a simple brief exchange but left a lasting impact on me. The immense love I had in my heart at that moment when my husband held the hand of this sweet senior sister to allow her to participate in blessings she could only enjoy with a man, my spiritual understanding was enlarged and for a fleeting moment I could see the amount of knowledge  I do not yet understand on how our families, and Our Father's Family tree really works. The brief glimpse of light that came that moment was bright enough for me to receive a lasting testimony of something some of us have mentioned over the years, that our family does not work as a lineal tree but instead three dimensional. The work that needs to be done in heaven does not always translate directly here to earth. At that moment, I better understood that the temple is a portal where Earth and Heaven meet, where the work we do here is elevated to what it needs to be in heaven.

Over the next 4 months I doubled and sometimes tripled my temple attendance, focusing mostly on sealings. For the first time in my life I actually printed my own family cards, a lot of them, and took to the temple. I gathered dozens of names from the last 3 wards I have lived in that needed sealings done and were able to complete almost all of them.

I don't understand why Garrett and Tiff can't be sealed on this earth, yet for that moment I was reminded that there is someone much wiser and all knowing than I, that is in control and well aware of the situations of his children, saints on earth, like my brother Garrett.

So Garrett, I just want to testify to you that I don't understand everything in life, but I do know that you are an eternal part of our family and I am so grateful to call you my brother. Thank you for being you. Thank you for taking care of my little sister. Thank you for your patience, love, and for choosing to be a part of our family. I love you and am grateful for this chance I had to think of you often and serve in your honor. I love you brother~