What About

After watching our own daughter participate in our 4^th of July parade, we were shocked to learn that another girl had been injured in the parade. Then along with the rest of our city we were devastated to learn that she passed away soon thereafter in the hospital. Later events of the day at home, with struggling children, continued to put a sober tone on the holiday for us. So I was grateful that evening to be able to attend a Peter Breinholt concert listening to music that I have loved since my youth. One of my favorite songs of his is called What About, and I remember a couple decades back when I was in high school and he explained the song to us in a seminary early morning devotional. If I remember correctly, it was during a morning commute that he started to thank the Lord for all of his blessings and the song was the outcome of those drives where he would think of all those things he was grateful for which we usually wouldn’t notice. The lyrics include these words: 

And I think now

All this time has been

On this road

And what about

All the September moons

And what about

All the flowers in June

And what about

All the times that I sit here and wonder

…

There is so much to see

And I think now

All this time has been passing by

And what about

All the mountains in spring

And what about

All the choirs that sing

And what about

Every mother that holds a new child

…

All this could have passed me by

Standing lonely all this while

And what about

Every wide open field

And what about

All the wind that we feel

And what about

Every holiday song in a small town

And what about

Every child that sleeps

And what about

 Every quiet blue sea

Indeed it is easy to let all of these things pass us by, but if we open our eyes we can see the wonder of life and the great gifts of God to His children even amidst the terrible hardship that exists. September moons and flowers in June and mountains in spring and choirs that sing are indeed all wonderous gifts from God that we usually fail to notice. I give thanks for music itself that can lift our spirits up closer to God and help us feel a connection to Him we cannot otherwise find. Peter Breinholt’s music in particular has had a profound effect on me over the years and is a place I go for solace and escape. This song helped remind me to look for the wondrous blessings of the Lord all around that He has given us to “please the eye and to gladden the heart” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:18). As I took in this experience with my family on a beautiful summer evening, considering the great goodness of  God to me I felt as did Ammon of old: “Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel” (Alma 26:16).

                Today marks for our family the 46^th anniversary of the birth of my oldest sister who was born prematurely and lived only a few hours. I can only imagine how heartbreaking this must have been for my parents, but we remember her still today and look forward to the day yet still in the future when we will come to know her. In this life often full of sorrow we don’t understand the meaning of all things, but we have faith like Nephi of old that “he loveth his children” (1 Nephi 11:17). And as we look around us we can see evidences of that love if we will have eyes to see and follow the invitation of King Benjamin: “Open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view” (Mosiah 2:9). Perhaps those mysteries of God which we will come to know include not just the great truths of heaven that are now hidden from us but also the reasons for the challenges we face and an awareness of the compensating blessings He imparts despite those trials. We can give thanks indeed for the wide open field and the wind that we feel as we trust amidst our challenges that “He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for he loveth the world, even that he layeth down his own life that he may draw all men unto him” (2 Nephi 26:24). May all our trials and blessings indeed draw us unto Him forever.