For the love!!

So I've been thinking.. On this Sabbath day.. on this Easter Sunday.. The sun is shining and the sky is blue without a cloud in the sky. This is a pretty big deal in Seattle, let me tell you what. Obviously there's been a lot of thought this weekend about the Savior.. About His sacrifice and of the resurrection and the atonement. These are things I believe- things I know. And at this moment in particular, the thing that is on my mind is my Father in heaven who came up with this plan. The ultimate sacrifice for the ultimate redemption. 

All the statistics and factoids in the world won't change my opinion on this, and I'll tell you why- with an intro on... 

my parents. Have I told you about them? 

I don't feel like I got to know my dad well enough. Really, by the age of thirteen who really knows much about their parents besides the ways to bug them or avoid what they ask of us. Usually successfully. Mind, I hadn't reached the age yet of being ornery to my dad, so we had a pretty good thing going. My dad usually followed through on his threats to my brothers of slamming their heads together and based on what I know of my brothers, they probably deserved it at the time. I was only thirteen when my dad passed away, but what I do know is my dads absolute love for me. I knew it from the way he'd greet me when he came home. The biggest hug and that moment that he'd ask, almost everyday; 'have I told you today how much I love you?' I of course would respond with the appropriate answer, and he'd tell me he loved me either way. Always. 

I'm sure some of you that are reading this have met my mom. My lovely and wonderful mom. She's honestly the nicest person and is always willing to help and forgive/forget the garbage that I come up with. No hidden agenda. It's honestly astounding to me. I get a clean slate with her regularly. I can see in her that desire and need for her children to be happy. That's honestly all she wants. Nothing more. She doesn't have any ulterior motive. She has seen the gospel of Jesus Christ work in her life and she wants that for us. It's like that whole tunnel vision I know I have. I think she has a bit of a better view than I do, so I should trust more in her sights than my own. Maybe a little.. 

Now returning to my original frame of thought, this is what I know... I know that I have a Father in heaven that loves me. I know of His forgiveness and I know of His love. I see it in the beauty of the world around me... I see it in His plan and the sacrifice of His son. And more personally, I know of His love, His forgiveness, and His desire for me to be happy. I see Him through the example of my parents.