Always Very Near

My paternal grandmother’s family began settling the British colony of Virginia early in its history.  Over time they moved into western Virginia and there they have remained for more than two and a half centuries.  My grandma was born less than a mile from the land her great great grandfather settled and she grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins and family. Many of my dad’s cousins still live in West Virginia near the old homesite and I smile just thinking about being there.  Though I now live nearly two thousand miles away, in so many ways, the hills, the rivers, and especially the people of West Virginia feel like home to me.

This week our daughter played in her first major women’s golf tournament of the summer and we enjoyed visiting with many of the players and parents she spent several years of junior golf with before they all went to college last year.  We exchanged stories from the past year and received updates on how the college golf season had gone for each of our girls.  As the banter continued, I was asked how it was having my daughter so far away as she attended Southern Virginia University.  She thrived in Virginia and as I responded, I also felt grateful for the angels who encircled her there.  From the seen coaches, teammates, roommates, friends, teachers and advisors, there were also unseen angels. 

Southern Virginia University is less than an hour and a half from where my grandma was born and raised and while she does not know many of my dad’s cousins personally, I do, and they know who she is too.  She is their family and in a time of need they would give her aid.  
 
As children of God on earth, each of us is “…separated from Him with whom they had walked and talked, who had given them face-to-face counsel….God knew the challenges they would face, and He certainly knew how lonely and troubled they would sometimes feel. So He watched over His mortal family constantly, heard their prayers always, and sent prophets (and later apostles) to teach, counsel, and guide them. But in times of special need, He sent angels, divine messengers, to bless His children, reassure them that heaven was always very close and that His help was always very near.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2008) We are surrounded by angels seen and unseen who walk with us, comfort us and in times of special need lend their aid.  His help is always very near.