Fathers: Perfect and Unperfect

I absolutely love that "ah ha" moment when you seem to find another piece of the puzzle that fits perfectly into the Gospel Plan. I love it even more when those pieces come in your darkest of days and you realize how incredibly perfect not only His plan is, but how incredibly perfect He is.

I had one of those moments today. I was reading in Alma 32 -- which is an incredible chapter as a whole -- but the last verse was my silver lining.

Alma is pleading with the Lord to give him, the son's of Mosiah and his sons strength and in the last verse it reads,

"And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayers of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith."

For some reason the word provided came with such strength to my mind and I began to think of the primary song "The Family is of God". In that song there is a phrase that says, "A father's place is to preside, provide, to love and teach the gospel to his children..." Over and over that phrase ran through my mind and I realized how truly blessed we are to have a Heavenly Father that is completely perfect. One that will -- and always will -- provide for us as His children. I think about dads today in our world -- the imperfect kind. Most would give everything for their children to provide for them, and to give them the very best chance at life, the greatest opportunities and the strength only a father can give. 

Our Heavenly Father is no different, except He provides perfectly. He not only provides for us spiritually, but he does so temporally, mentally, physically, every way possible He does it. He cannot desert us, or even do anything that would go unprovide for us, because that is against the very nature of His call as Father. 

Reading this scripture and having this grand "ah ha" moment put into perspective the trials we go through; probably because I seem to be in the biggest, ongoing, never ending trial yet; nonetheless, I realized how undeniable it must be that we have these trials, for the purpose of becoming more like Him and preparing to live with Him again. If He really is the perfect Father --I believe that He is -- then to see us suffer and feel like we are drowning must be immensely hard and painful for Him too. He doesn't want to see us suffer anymore than we want to, but He knows we need the trials so we can become as He is. 

I am so grateful for a perfect Father that is doing everything He can so that I can come home. When it's my time to return home, after I fall at His feet and thank Him I will be ecstatic to wrap my arms around Him and give Him that hug I've been longing to give. A Father-daughter kinda hug.