The Empty Sea

Kimball was the first of Shane's brothers to enter the MTC, when Shane was only four years old. He was with us during all six trips to the MTC with each boy in turn. I think it was three years ago, when we took Colin down to begin his mission, that Shane told us that he always thought we were going to the empty sea on the earlier trips when he heard us mention the MTC. That's where he is tonight, safe and sound, ready to go forth and serve, he's in the MTC. He's the last of our missionary sons, but the first one to depart from his own hometown. As of last June, families no longer go inside the MTC with the new arrivals. Since the church will pay for airfare to SLC, we said our goodbyes at the Boise airport rather than making the ten- to twelve-hour round trip drive to Provo. His good friend, Stewart Wayment, greeted him there, and then drove down to Provo where they picked up another friend, Evan Darrington,, to have lunch together at the BYU Creamery.

Privileged is the best word to describe how I've felt during these last few weeks with Shane. I was with him yesterday when he received a beautiful patriarchal blessing from our new stake patriarch, Brother Buhler. Shane told me that for the first time, he felt that God knew him as an individual, not just as one of the group of His many many children. When that realization sinks into your heart, that you really are known and loved by the Lord, the love of God can really burst into full bloom, bringing about amazing growth and enlightenment! I remember when it happened to me. I suddenly felt God's love for me, an obscure and ordinary person. And I knew since He loved me no matter who I was, or wasn't, I wasn't really just obscure and ordinary at all, and that He loved ALL of His children. I also knew that if He loved everyone else, so should I! I began to sense that each individual is precious. I believe that I witnessed Shane coming to this understanding in recent weeks as well.
Remarkably, gratefully, the channel of revelation from the Lord we'd felt earlier in the day, remained opened as President Porter set Shane apart as a missionary in the New York New York South Mission later that evening. After so many evidences of friendship and concernfrom our ward and others, Shane told me that he never realized that so many people cared about him. I wish everyone could feel that way, but it may be that many have not yet felt it, maybe because it has not yet been adequately shown to them. I hope I can begin to help them know it by the way I speak to and treat them though.

A hearty thank you to Ethan and Missy for coming to Shane's farewell. We thoroughly enjoyed your visit. His talk alone was worth the drive, wasn't it? Thanks to his friends for coming, too. Thanks to each of you, Cindy, Karen, Phil, and Kirt, for the temple trips. Shane was able to go there about 8 times over the last three and a half weeks to bless and serve in sealings, baptisms, endowments, and initiatories. He even went one time on his own. As I said, thanks to the influence of the Spirit, and of many good and caring people, and to Shane's own righteous choices and desires, he is prepared to serve the Lord, nowe and forever. May it ever be thus, is my humble and ongoing prayer for him, and for all of our sons and their families.