Missing Jeff's Dad ~

It's been one year since we got the phone call. Time stands still when your mourning. I swear we have lost that year, because it seems like yesterday. I was reading in the scriptures and came across these verses in 1st Nephi chapter 16

34 And it came to pass that Ishmael died, and was buried in the place which was called Nahom.

35 And it came to pass that the daughters of Ishmael did mourn exceedingly, because of the loss of their father, and because of their afflictions in the wilderness; and they did murmur against my father, because he had brought them out of the land of Jerusalem, saying: Our father is dead; yea, and we have wandered much in the wilderness, and we have suffered much affliction, hunger, thirst, and fatigue; and after all these sufferings we must perish in the wilderness with hunger.
36 And thus they did murmur against my father, and also against me; and they were desirous to return again to Jerusalem.

I can relate to these daughters in their mourning and wanting to just go home.  Home in the metaphorical idea of "back to normal"  It's amazing to me that when we had normal we didn't appreciate it and now it seems that murmuring is an easy fall back. 

in verse 39   And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea, even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did ^achasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish.

For me there is a great lesson here.  To chasten in the dictionary means

Definition

chas·ten

[ cháyss'n ]

TRANSITIVE VERB

1.

make somebody subdued: to make somebody less self-satisfied or self-assertive and more subdued

2.

discipline somebody: to subject somebody to discipline

3.

 to moderate intensity of something:

Heavenly Father helped moderate their intensity, in response they were able to turn away their anger and repent.

I hope to get to a place where I no longer want to "go home" but can move forward in faith with unconditional love and acceptance.  I think being "chastised" is not such a bad thing after all.  I also know that in order to be blessed we need to be in a proper frame of mind mentally and spiritually.  If we are consumed with murmuring we don't have time to let Heavenly Father moderate our emotions.