Saturday, March 16, 2024
This morning I woke up and had one of those moments where it becomes very clear that I need to plan out the next stage of this journey. It’s weird because days will go by in which I have no idea what we are going to do next, and then I reach a point where I know I have got to get moving. Today was one of those days. I figured out that we can take the train to the Swiss temple, hopefully stay in temple housing, and then move on to Vicenza, Italy and then to Rome. And from Rome we can FLY to Barcelona. I found airline tickets for just about $50 per person, so we are in business. It is a huge relief.
Today we visited the Frankfurt temple, which is not actually in Frankfurt, but outside of town -- not far from Sami and Cinthia’s house. It’s a beautiful temple. They all are. Sami and the kids and I went in and did baptisms. Cinthia was working the baptistry, so we got to see her there. Betty stayed outside with River.
When we were done, Betty wanted to go inside the temple -- as she has done in other places -- just to see the baptistry and to feel the spirit of the temple. The problem was that the people working the desk did not speak English and we don’t speak German. So we took Sami with us to try to explain, but they just weren’t understanding what we wanted to do. At first they thought that Betty was a non-member (she had forgotten her recommend). Then they thought she wanted to bring River into the temple. Finally, they got a member of the temple presidency to come out. We explained the situation, and he graciously offered to take us down himself. By this time the baptistry was empty. Betty was able to take some time alone, and I chatted with the president about our trip. The he said: “Do you want to see the oxen?” Of course we did, so he took us down an elevator and through a maintenance hall and then opened a door and we were there at the base of the font -- eye level with the oxen. It was awesome. I’ve always wanted to come down and see them up close, and here in Frankfurt I was able to do it. It was totally unforgettable, and I’m so grateful we had the opportunity.
Back at the house we had some delicious lunch, and then it was time to say goodbye. It was such a great stay with Sami and Cinthia and their kids. We would love to come back and spend more time.
On the way home the kids and I had a great discussion about what it means for something to be beautiful. I thought they were really insightful as they touched on what to me are the main elements of beauty.
Beautiful things strike or stir or move us on an emotional level. It’s very often difficult to put into words specifically why something is beautiful, but we know beauty when we see it because we feel it in our heart, chest, throat, or stomach.
Beautiful things point us towards higher or heavenly things. They help us orient towards the divine. In this way the beautiful is different from the attractive, or the pretty, or the desirable. It doesn't mean that all beautiful things are churchy or even spiritual, but they elevate our minds.
Beauty depends on an interaction between an object and a viewer. It’s not that the object alone is beautiful. Nor is it the case that beauty is solely in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is a relationship between a beautiful object and a person capable of sensing that beauty -- both of feeling the stirring and of being oriented towards the divine by it.
I feel like the older I get the more capable I am getting and recognizing the stirring feelings caused by beautiful things, and also the more capable I am of being pointed to God by them.
It was a good chat.
In the evening we got back with Dasha and the kids, and we had a really nice evening. Betty and Dasha and I had another great conversation about this trip, about living in Europe, about living the military lifestyle, and about raising kids. We talked about how each person’s experience is unique, and how God will help us to take advantage of our circumstances to raise our kids. Everyone’s situations are so totally unique, but if we are focused on raising our kids well, we will find the opportunities to help them grow, regardless of our circumstances.
We also had a good talk about being led. I think it’s such a blessing and a challenge to just allow ourselves to be led -- one step at a time. As I was going to bed tonight, I had the words of Lead Kindly Light in my head.
Lead kindly light, amid the encircling gloom.
Lead thou me on.
The night is dark, and I am far from home.
Lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet, I do not ask to see the distant scene.
One step enough for me.
That’s my theme song for this trip.