If you believe in God...

I have long loved this quote by Ugo Betti,

"If you believe in God, you know that all the rules will be  fair and there will be wonderful surprises."

This has been a really tough week, worldwide.  We are only spectators, like the rest of the world but it's almost impossible to stay sunny when there has been so much sorrow and suffering.

In Moscow, we take our metro so for granted, it never entered any of our minds that it was vulnerable to malfunction.  During the morning rush on Monday,  three cars derailed on our very own blue line, the one we take several times a week.  The cars folded on top of each other. Twenty three people were killed and over a hundred were seriously injured.  We weren't involved but our office assistant, Olga, was on the next train.  Her train stopped suddenly, the lights went out for 20 min.and they had no idea what had happened.  They heard chaotic sounds and voices.  It was hot and so dark.  They were finally escorted through the tunnel.  Olga was pretty shaken when she called us but she made it into the office.  It was much later that any of us found out what had happened.

As we returned from our Sr. Council meeting on Thursday, we heard the news of the shooting down of the Malaysian flight over Easter Ukraine.  Almost 300 people lost their lives.
Having just returned from Ukraine, our hearts are tender.  We love all of these people, on both sides of the political issue.  I can't imagine the terrible pain of the families of those innocent people on the flight.

I don't know how anyone can look at the Middle East and not weep for the suffering so many are enduring and have endured for decades.  I don't like political arguments but innocents are dying because of political stalemates.  So many opportunities for peace have been lost because of extremists.  My heart breaks for families who are just trying to build some kind of stability and live in peace.  Many hundreds have been killed.

Combined with challenging situations faced by people we love here in  Russia and elsewhere, I have not felt a lot of peace.

Elder Pierson, bless his heart, is my rock in so many ways.  He is rational while I often can't gain perspective.  When I am a total emotional mess for the suffering in so many places, he gently points out the limitations of my influence.  I can't do much to stop the tragedies in the world.  Sleepless nights don't help anyone.  I do pray really hard and we contribute generously to our fast offerings.
Alma, a Book of Mormon prophet, invites all of us to "Mourn with those that mourn", as part of our baptismal covenant but I really don't help much in these very large events.

Somehow, we, individually,must find peace.  The above quote  from Ugo Betti was included in the remarks of a young father at the funeral of his 4 year old son.  Lindsey attended the service in Arkansas and sent her impressions.  Both parents bore testimony of the truth of the Lord's eternal plan and "somehow, pain and faith are learning to live peacefully side by side in my heart.  I have been richly blessed before and I know I will continue to be blessed."  (the Mom).

That is what I want.  How to get there?
In April, 2013, Elder Quentin Cook, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ talked about how to find deep, abiding happiness and spiritual contentment.  This is from his April 2013 conference talk:

President Heber J. Grant described the Savior’s peace this way: “His peace will ease our suffering, bind up our broken hearts, blot out our hates, engender in our breasts a love of fellow men that will suffuse our souls with calm and happiness.”¹⁷ 

The Savior is the source of true peace. Even with the trials of life, because of the Savior’s Atonement and His grace, righteous living will be rewarded with personal peace. In the intimate setting of the Passover chamber, the Savior promised His Apostles that they would be blessed with the “Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost” and then uttered these important words: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”³⁰ Then just before His Intercessory Prayer: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”³¹

Eliza R. Snow penned this concept beautifully:

"Lift up your hearts in praise to God;

Let your rejoicings never cease.

Though tribulations rage abroad,

Christ says, “In me ye shall have peace."

I echo the message:  I have been so richly blessed and I will continue to be blessed.

All the rules are fair.

Sometimes things seem like this upside down house we saw in a Moscow park but, just like this is an anomaly, reality shows me that the world is a wonderful place to be and , in the Lord's time, everything will be "right-side-up."