This is something that I wrote several months ago, on the day that my family got sealed. It was one of the most memorable days of my life, and this story is about the whole day as I remember it.
Today I was thinking about how blessed I am
to be a part of such a big family. Yesterday was one of the most important and
most memorable days ever. We went to Lubbock to have Sophie sealed to us for
time and all eternity. This was just a great day, but, as anticipated, there
were some road blocks along the way. First of all, it was quite the challenge
to get all of us ready and on the same page in the temple. Regan, Monica,
Lindsey and I all showed up later than the rest of the family, so we had some
trouble finding each other once we showed up. Finally, we all got dressed in
our white temple clothes and sat in the waiting room together. Several friends
were there, such as the Vander Does family, Sister Quisenberry, the Elliotts,
the Witkowzkis, and Sophie’s primary teacher, Sister Powell. They all left to go to the sealing room and
we were left, the seven siblings, waiting. This is the moment that I looked
around and started feeling emotional. I love all my brothers and sisters, and
it was a great moment to share together. Then, we all went to the sealing room,
where we saw mom and dad, waiting for us. Patriarch Rindlisbacher, who gave me
my Patriarchal Blessing, was the sealer. He is a spiritual giant, and just a
great man. I look up to him a lot. He spoke several minutes about the
significance of the sealing ordinance, the priesthood power, and the symbolism
in the temple. I have always loved the light fixtures in the temple, and he
pointed out that each little piece that makes up the chandelier has a little
beehive on it. He explained that this could symbolize the effort that we all
put in as a family to have success and to achieve our goal of having an eternal
family. He also talked about how adopting Sophie was always part of Heavenly
Father’s plan for our family. I was never against the adoption when my parents
were going through the process, but at the same time, I didn’t understand the
hand of the Lord in their decision.
Brother Rindlisbacher explained that both our ancestors, and Sophie’s
ancestors, were part of preparing all of us, and Sophie, for the adoption. He
also said, “There are many family members, both seen and unseen, that are a
part of this today.”(Paraphrasing) He also reminded me of when I received my
Patriarchal Blessing, and how I felt that day that Grandpa Welch was present. I
felt the same thing yesterday, and it was a very touching and spiritual moment
for me. I am so grateful for my ancestors, and my immediate family. He gave us
the opportunity to stand, all together, in front of the mirror. He explained
that as we look at ourselves in the mirror, all we can see is our own
reflection. However, as we turn and look at each other’s reflections, we can
see many reflections that give us a small glimpse of what eternity will be
like. I was standing in the middle of everyone, and I tried to imagine what it
will be like to stand all together in God’s presence. One last thing: just
before performing the ordinance, which was actually quite short, he explained
the significance of the sealing power. The sealing power is greater than the
legal power that was part of the adoption, and, more importantly, the sealing
power is even greater than the power of genetics. Now, Sophie is literally a
part of our family. I almost feel like she has the same blood, and the same
genes that I have. I have a hunch that her ancestors, and our ancestors, know
each other, and have been a huge part of this whole process. I think that
Sophie will be able to appreciate that relationship she has with her Chinese
ancestors as well. Afterwards, we took pictures, which, in true Welch fashion,
was a total nightmare. We had to get changed and on our way, but, for a minute,
I was able to sit in the Celestial Room with Regan. It was all such a good
experience, and I remember thinking, while Patriarch Rindlisbacher was talking,
that it truly is worth any sacrifice to live worthily to make it to the temple.
It’s the best place on earth.
Anyway, after all this was over, we went to
have lunch together at Five Guys, and we enjoyed burgers and fries. On the trip
back, Mom called me to inform us that one of their tires had blown out, and
that they had stopped on the side of the road. Fortunately, we saw them, about
two minutes later, stopped on the side of the road. Regan, Dad, Jared, and I
changed the tire, and off we were again… All of this was a total hassle,
because we were trying to rush back and help Regan and Monica move into their
house. Honestly, the rest of the day is kind of a blur to me. It involved a lot
of packing, unpacking, loading, unloading, running, scrambling, cars breaking
down, etc. Looking back on the day, there was a lot that went wrong. It was
very unlucky to have two cars to break down in one day. It was a bad
coincidence that caused us to have this big, busy day in the first place! I
felt like there was definitely things to be negative about. However, as I think
with a spiritual perspective, there is SO much more to be positive about. We
are sealed, by priesthood power, for time and all eternity. No unlucky circumstance
could ever break us apart. My family is bonded, spiritually, emotionally, and
eternally. They are my best friends and the most important people to me. I feel
grateful today for the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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