Once in a while..

..the Lord lets you see things come full circle. Often we don't see things come around until time has past and we can look back with a fresh perspective.
Rich and I were granted a glimpse today.
A couple of years ago a young man, D, came to work at Rich's office. Luck would have it that the two men became friends and one day connected the dots realizing D and his family lived down the street from my parents. Over the next few years D and Rich would spend many lunch breaks talking religion, about the stresses of raising a family and the blessings that come. Slowly, with the help of those in his ward, D gained a testimony and was baptized. Our families became good friends. Rich and I were blessed when we witnessed his family sealed in the temple. Then, life took an unexpected turn and D and his family moved to Washington D.C. where his wife is being trained before moving to Asia--ultimately China. The decision to move was stressful, difficult and had D up many nights. The move was hard. D became a stay at home dad while his wife worked on her Chinese language skills in anticipation of the move across the ocean. But, the Lord's hand was in this. Soon D reconnected with his great uncle who lives on the east coast and asked if there was any sort of family tree information connecting certain names with certain generations. This man in his 90's pulled out an old book recounting D's Chinese ancestry going back 18 generations--a book no one seemed to know existed. There were over 300 pages of details, pencil sketches, important dates and life histories written down in one place just waiting for the right person to find them.

D showed Rich and I pictures of the book tonight. After he left, Rich and I started talking. For the past 600 years this family tree has been waiting, watching, and praying for the one person who would be prepared to bring them into the gospel. It has taken 600 years, one young man and his testimony to bring them from obscurity to the fullness of the gospel. One young man who can see that his interactions with friends in high school who were members of the church were good- his neighbors who didn't care that he wasn't a member but befriended him sincerely-- his wife who let his testimony grow slow but strong-- one young man who was willing to let go, believe and grasp the rod to change the course of his posterity for the past 600 years and next 600 to come.

Tonight's visit was by far the best Christmas present Rich and I could have ever asked for. Seeing D strong, humble and valiantly obeying the quiet promptings of the Spirit filled us with joy. There is much work to be done-- but the rejoicing in heaven at this time must be exhilarating.