Observations in This Week's Wake

Maybe I'm feeling things deeper than usual because of an unexplained sleepless night, but I cannot help thinking about this week in America.  The Boston Marathon Bombing, the poisoned letters in Washington D.C., the factory explosion in Texas, and, of course, North Korea and their ongoing threats.  The world's feeling a little bit scary right now.

Eric needed to go to Seattle for work, so with an extremely free day today I decided to drive down to Portland and go to the temple.  In the wake of everything happening lately, it was the most peaceful place to be.  I had planned to go today anyway, and now I'm especially glad.  The experience made me feel centered and calm, things that are difficult to feel when the media want you to feel otherwise.  The photo above is one I took as I arrived this morning.  I found it a poignant reminder.  And, like the Mr. Rogers quote that is circulating, notice the helpers.  It is during these tragedies that you see people rise to the occasion and help perfect strangers, carrying them to safety, offering them water, or simply comforting them.  We need reminders of the good.  There is a lot of it.

Interestingly, I saw some odd things during my drive.  Heading towards my destination early this morning and just off the freeway, I watched as a truck's wooden beams went sliding right off the bed and onto the ground.  It was like what you see in the movies. Fortunately, there was no car behind the truck as it was making a left turn when the beams slid off.  They were about 15 feet long. 

A few hours later I marveled at the heavy traffic on the other side of the freeway.  Then I saw the cause.  Another truck had dropped part of its load on the ground.  Small, unidentifiable items were scattered all over the place, with the driver scrambling around the cars and picking the items up by hand.

Still, I feel like I was in the right place this morning.  I arrived extra early for the temple session, so I picked up the Book of Mormon and started reading in Helaman.  I came across two very comforting scriptures that I had never paid much attention to before.  Helaman 3:27-28:
27  Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon His holy name.
28  Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, [even to those] who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.

Honestly, just finding those two verses during my wait made the drive worth it today.