Reflecting and Looking Forward

Today as I was playing prelude music for Sacrament meeting I played a hymn that has come to have some personal meaning for me throughout the years. Hymn #114 Come Unto Him is my mother's favorite hymn (last I heard at least). So, every time I play it I think of her. Then, a few years ago I had the opportunity to accompany the Ogden LDS Institute Choralaires with that hymn. I loved getting to play it over and over and actually get to do some phrasing with it and so on as opposed to just playing it for congregational singing.
Then, we got word that President Boyd K. Packer was doing a fireside at our institute just for us (not a broadcasted fireside). Naturally the Choralaires got asked to provide the music. Apparently that hymn, "Come Unto Him," is President Packer's favorite hymn.
As time drew near for the fireside I hit a road bump with the situation. The same Sunday we were supposed to sing that hymn for that fireside, me and a few others were also supposed to play a concert with the WSU orchestra (our concerts were always on Sunday nights). The fireside was at 6pm and the concert started at 7:30pm.
We were ALL worried.
President Packer isn't known for his speedy talks (at least in my opinion).
I can't tell you how close I came to asking for the back-up accompanist on that hymn to play and getting out of playing. I'm so glad I didn't.
I honestly can't remember a dang thing Pres. Packer said, but I remember that experience.
We were all praying that the fireside would get out on time and that we would make it to our concert and still have time to warm up and be ready to play.
The fireside finished 15 minutes early. It was amazing.
Everything worked out...miraculously. Seriously. 

So, today as I was playing that hymn that memory and many others came flooding back.

I have been so very lucky in my past.

I got to play the piano and sing for so many things.

I've sung in a choir for General Conference, I've sung in numerous CES Firesides, one of which was one that President Monson spoke at. I even got the chance to accompany the choir during a CES fireside in which Elder D. Todd Christofferson spoke. He came down to meet the choir directors and I got to shake his hand.

I've had the opportunity to meet L. Tom Perry and President Monson in other places.

I have nothing to complain about. Or rather, I shouldn't complain.

I was truly blessed with amazing experiences.

Right now might be ridiculously difficult, but I have to have hope that it is for a good reason and that I will be a better person for it.

I really miss my life from when I was in school in Ogden. Those probably were the best years of my life (at least for now...I sure hope those aren't THE best years...oh man I really hope...).

It's taken me awhile to figure this out, probably too long, but oh well. At least I figured it out before it was too late. I have been blessed and I need to remember that. Things will get better...maybe not today, tomorrow, this week, or even this year, but I am stating now that I have hope that it will get better.