I’ve heard so much bad news coming from the States
this week.
I became quite sad on my way home from work as I read
the paper. It seemed like the world was slowly destroying itself.
Then the tiniest little ray of sunshine burst through
the dark clouds. Here’s how a three-year-old restored my faith.
I was riding home on the Tube (London’s metro
system). As usual, it was packed with tired, sweaty, anxious commuters.
Everyone just wants to go home at the end of a long work day.
Most people on the Tube try to tune out the rest of
the passengers, myself included.
I was doing a pretty good job becoming absorbed in
the horrific news from my home country. As I said, I was feeling pretty upset.
A tiny girl was seated on her dad’s lap next to me.
Her dad had given her his iPhone to play with while he checked some emails on
his Blackberry. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about the situation, and I
probably wouldn’t have paid much attention to them. That was until I heard what
she said.
After playing a few games on the iPhone, she handed
it back to her dad. He asked if it was broken or if she needed his help to win
a game. She replied, “Nope. I’m just done with it.”
He asked, “What do you want to do instead of playing
games?”
She said, “I just want to talk to you because I love
you daddy.”
She gave him a big kiss on the cheek and he gave her
a hug.
It suddenly occurred to me that just because bad
things happen, it doesn’t mean the whole world is bad or that all people are
bad. This sweet little girl was full
of pure love and happiness.
The world is full of amazing people who are striving
to make it a better place. Love and goodness abounds; I just need to look a
little harder to find it sometimes.
Back in October 2001, shortly after the September 11 terrorist
attacks occurred, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had a
conference.
Gordon B. Hinckley, who was the Church’s prophet at
the time, said some really profound things. Whether or not you have religious
inclinations, hopefully the message will ring true.
He said, “Let us be prayerful. Let us pray for
righteousness. Let us pray for the forces of good. Let us reach out to help men
and women of goodwill, whatever their religious persuasion and wherever they
live. Let us stand firm against evil, both at home and abroad. Let us live
worthy of the blessings of heaven, reforming our lives where necessary and
looking to Him, the Father of us all. He has said, “Be still, and know that I
am God” (Ps. 46:10).
Are these perilous times? They are. But there is no
need to fear. We can have peace in our hearts and peace in our homes. We can be
an influence for good in this world, every one of us."
As President Hinckley said, these are troubled times.
However, I don’t need to be afraid. I’m making a renewed effort to look for the
good, and even contribute to the good.
The world is a beautiful place.
Seeking out the good doesn’t mean I should ignore the
frightening things that are happening. My thoughts and prayers go out to all
those who are suffering because of the horrible events of this week. Together,
we mourn and are moved with compassion to care for those around us.
Even though things may seem awful sometimes, there
are always little rays of sunshine that break through the darkness, like that
little girl was for me. We just have to look for them. Better yet, become the
light for someone else. The only way to dispel darkness is to shine some light.
“We can be an influence for good in this world, every
one of us.”
