My mom and her siblings regularly exchange pictures although they’re in different countries through a group chat. On the other hand, my dad’s siblings were not close with each other. Some of his brothers and sisters didn’t speak with each other because of personal differences. Feeling sad about that, my dad made a chat group with his brothers and sisters like my mom did. However, when he made it, it was quiet and tense.
One day, Grandma took a bad fall from a chair and broke her hip. On that day, the group chat came alive with hundreds of messages. Many of Dad’s sisters and in-laws are doctors. Because of this, they all earnestly wanted to make sure Grandma received the right treatment immediately. “This hospital sounds good for Mom,” “When will she have surgery to fix her hip?”—they discussed the surgery’s progress and how to pay the expenses with each other. Even one of Dad’s brothers-in-law joined the chat with lighthearted remarks: “Actually, her bone density is good for her age. No wonder she had the strength to stand on a chair!”
Everyone paid close attention to the chat all the way until Grandma started recovering. They were touched to see a picture of Grandma sitting with Grandpa when she woke up after surgery. In the end, my aunts and uncles exchanged words of thanks for the updates on Grandma’s condition. Their group chat has become more lively. Dad’s siblings, who didn’t speak with each other very much, suddenly had one mind. The cheerful uncle who praised Grandma’s bone density even had a theory: “Maybe mother fell on purpose to give her children a reason to unite, because she was heartbroken that her children were not talking to each other anymore.”
In the gospel work, it is also easy to be caught up in what we do individually and focus too much on ourselves. Sometimes, we forget that we are brothers and sisters who’ve shared Heavenly Father and Mother’s holy flesh and blood. We may even end up having discord between one another because of small differences, although we all keep the same feasts and believe in the same God Elohim.
But if we all think of Heavenly Mother who sacrifices to be with us, then all our differences would fade enough for us to be united.
I have been guilty of making Heavenly Mother suffer by treating my brothers and sisters arrogantly and pushing them around. Now, I want to become a humble sheep to go back to our heavenly home with my brothers and sisters.