This is going to sound bizarre, but hear me out. Sometimes I think God does things or allows thingss to happen to us to teach us a lesson. Over the weekend I had a little stomach problem going on. By Sunday evening I was feeling better. So when my sister-in-law suggested we all go visit "The Tree of Life" I was excited. A neighboring city had decorated a huge tree in one of their parks. Seeing it in the pictures is a lot different than seeing it in person. The tree sparkles. It is beautiful. So this tree is decorated in what could be the likeness of the "Tree of Life" in the Book of Mormon. A man, a prophet, had a dream about a rod of iron and a path leading to this most glorious tree and if you make it to this tree you can partake of the fruit thereof which is exquisite. Now the path is laden with all kinds of obstacles and enticements just out of reach. But if you hold on to the rod and follow the path it will lead you to this tree. Well in his dream only some of his family makes it to the Tree. Only some are able to partake of the fruit. Many are lost in the mists of darkness while other people are enticed away from the path to a great and spacious building full of people laughing and mocking at you. His Son desiring to know what his father's dream meant asked God for an interpretation. The iron rod is the word of God and if we hold on to what God has taught us and not go astray and follow the path laid out by our Savior we will be lead to the tree. And the Tree represents the Love of God. And if we follow His commandments we will be able to partake of the sweetness of the Love that God has for us. And on our way over to this tree my stomach started going south again. And I was kind of sad. I had really wanted to go see this tree up close. As I watched my family under the light of the Tree I wished so desperately to be there with them partaking of the light. And then I remembered this story from the scriptures and it gave me further resolve to be the kind of person who does the things necessary to get to the Tree of Life. To be with my family forever in a state of never-ending happiness surrounded by the Love of God. So I think sometimes God allows us to be sick, not because He wants to punish us, but because sometimes there are lessons to be learned that can only be learned through a trial. And while I would have enjoyed being under the light of the Tree with my family I can see things in a different perspective that could have only come from watching from a distance the joy that awaits if I stay on the path.
