He gave me eyes to speak, to see beyond the words, to understand, to discover...

Okay, I know I just barely posted last night and there hasn't been enough time for people to read it, so you can read it if you want, but there was a story that we read in Young Women's that I have to post. Honestly, this story - and Young Women's in general - made my birthday.

In the beginning – but not really the beginning, only a moment in the span of existence that is always – I learned of a plan of my Heavenly Father for me and my spirit brothers and sister. Himself exalted and perfected and holy, our beloved Father wanted us to have a chance to follow his path. His firstborn, our elder Brother Jesus, would organize a world where we could live and grow and learn to love and truly care. It would be a difficult experience in a world of imperfect men and irrevocable law, and we must choose if we would follow him.

And so I said “Yes” and I waited for my turn.

Jesus set about making a world for me and you, the Father’s children. And one day I left a place I cannot remember now to come here, to begin the union of my life with the earth.

In the hazy brightness that is childhood, there was the first recognition of beauty – the smell of eucalyptus, the first encounters with the sea and sun and sand, and fog – wet droplets on my face, a bee, flowers, and the cypress trees bent strangely by the winds.

And as I grew, so the world became more marvelous; and deep inside began the warm, sweet pain that is earth-love.

Jesus made light that falls soft and silvery at night and makes shadow patterns in the wind – light, golden-blue, and gentle in the days of spring sun – and light that spreads its colors first faintly red to orange to golden, to dispel the blue-black that’s night – sunrise. And I have eyes to see.

And he made me wind to rustle softly through a thousand leaves, glistening silver-slippery water to sing and stumble on its way to the sea, and birds to fill the morning air with soft flute-tones. And I have ears to hear.

He made hands to touch in the bright warmth that is “How are you?” or “I will help” or “I begin to love you”; and eyes to speak, to see beyond the words, to understand, to discover.

He gave me a heart that sees and hears and feels the earth he made, and deep within me earth-love swells to overflowing. He gave me tears of joy to shed.

You have these things too. They are gifts – blessings beyond our ability to receive.

And someday when I have seen Jesus again and my Father has welcomed me back, I hope, with my mate, to be able to begin the direction of a world like this. And our children will turn in the cold sweetness of morning light to heavens of their earth with eyes that glisten with tears born of earth-love to say, “Thank you Father.”

I think I'm going to leave this one up for a while, because I really like it. I was going to post a bunch of other things, like a list of things that I want - I figured since it was my birthday it would be appropriate, especially since some of you have been asking what I wanted for my birthday - but after reading this I realized it didn't matter all that much. Most of them were jokes anyway, some were complaints, others actual needs. Now it seems that it really doesn't matter.

I hope everyone had an awesome Sunday.

Toodles!

-Jillian