The Cycle of Life

I came to make an observation this weekend. I watched an elderly sister in our ward get up to bare her testimony this week. As I watched her frail body I noticed how much like an infants it was. Sometimes when a baby is born we say that they look old and wise. This was the same face which this sister beheld before me. I thought how ironic it is that we come into this life with frail little bodies. We have to learn to use them but in the meantime we need to have someone take care of us, or else we will not survive. As we get older and our bodies become frail once again, we need the help of loved ones to care for us. The skills with which we learned to control our body in infancy are slowly fading away. That which was once difficult is now difficult again.

Isn't it funny how pregnancy can be the same way. At the beginning it is difficult being sick and then at the end it is difficult being heavy. At the beginning we wonder, "can I do this?" And at the end we find ourselves again wondering, "can I do this?" In the beginning it seems to be a slower process, we are sick for what seems like an extended period of time. And at the end we are in a significant amount of pain for what feels like a long time, but is relatively short. Is this how life is as well? Learning to walk, eat and talk takes a longer period of time. But loosing the ability to walk, eat or talk can be extremely painful and feel like it is lasting forever, but in truth it is relatively short in the scheme of things.

If this cycle seems to be true in our lives, would it stand to reason that it is the same for this Earth on which we live? Will the death of it be similar to the birth of it? Will we find ourselves returning to the roots of our creation? Will it be swift and painful, and feel that it is going on forever? Can we know, as we do with childbirth, that in the moment we will wonder "can we do this?" but within a short time it will be over and all will be well? And as with all our trials, we will leave the refiners fire BETTER, STRONGER and HAPPIER than we were before. Hold on, this is but a moment.