Fives years, an email, my dad, my mom and a Pirate Hymn

I got a special email today.  It was from my mom.  I keep trying to convince her to start a blog as a place to document her great stories but it just hasn't happened yet.  So, in the mean time, some of her stories I get to claim.  Hope you don't mind, Mom.  It's a great one to record and share and you typed and punctuated it all too prettily that it was just too easy to cut and paste!  :)  Here is a glimpse of what she writes:

I was asked to give a short testimony yesterday in Sacrament meeting and was having a very difficult time trying to formulate something profound enough to say as the "ex-bishop's wife". Then our chorister announced that we would sing five verses of "How Firm a Foundation" (we usually only sing the three that are written in the staff). I was playing along and paying attention to the new words so I could get the
phrasing on the organ right, when I was hit with a blast of inspiration. All I could think about during the Sacrament was "PIRATES" and I couldn't get my thoughts together fast enough. Why didn't this hit me earlier in the week so I could really make it good?

Here's the general idea:

"I have a four year old grandson who is obsessed with pirates. His name is Russell. When I’m with Russell, he and I are imaginary “good” pirates. We have all sorts of adventures in our pirate world. With the help of Fisher Price and Legos we are attacked by “bad” pirates, our treasures are stolen, we cross shark and crocodile infested waters, our ships are blown up, our islands obliterated, but we miraculously survive and rebuild bigger and stronger the next time around. There’s never a dull moment when I’m playing pirates with
Russell.

It’s been very much like this last five years as my husband has served as the bishop of Goethe Park Ward. There has never been a dull moment.  As I’ve been thinking about the last five years of our lives, I see we
have sailed through some pretty rough seas. We’ve survived the storms of a house fire, the passing of my father, a year of unemployment, a horrible bicycle accident ... - only these have been real, not make
believe. In our pretend pirate world when Russell and I don’t like something, we can immediately change it, rearrange the couch cushions, get a snack, or start a totally new game that’s more fun. Not so in real life. But it’s a good thing I can't stop the experiences I don't like or things that are a little uncomfortable for me, or I would never cross the stormy seas and fiery paths to find the real treasures that our Heavenly Father wants for me.

I testify that we have a loving Heavenly Father who allows us to cross our stormy seas because He knows us and loves us perfectly. He is always there, guiding and directing our ships through the storms. He’s provided a Savior for us to help us repair our damaged vessels, and through Him we can find peace and rest. He’s given us a flawless treasure map for us to follow with the scriptures and the prophets...

I then read the words to verse 4 and 5 of "How Firm a Foundation", my new found "Pirate Hymn".

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

I love that the Lord won't let the flames hurt me and that He will SANCTIFY my deepest distress to me! Nice things to think about!

Have a GREAT DAY! Love you, MOM