We're certified and Bonnie has a story...

What a good feeling to have made our way from being the sad infertile couple without any clue of what to do, to being the happy infertile couple on the road to our baby. We have our certification and are now in finding mode, getting our names out there so we can meet our birth mother and build our family.

I had a thought the other night while laying in bed. For some reason, a picture was painted in my mind. I saw a road made of bricks (and yes they are yellow). So, I have a yellow brick road and it changed as it went along. In the beginning, the road was overgrown with vegetation. It was uneven and bumpy. Bricks were missing and broken in several places. The color of the bricks should have been a vibrant golden yellow but was dull, scuffed and chipped. The atmosphere surrounding the road was dark and close.

Then the bumps began to smooth somewhat. The grass and weeds on the shoulder became more tame,  not quite as tall and wild. The yellow bricks were still chipped but the color was brighter and more cheery. Light filtered in on the road to give more illumination. Fewer bricks were missing from the layout.

Again the road changed. The grade evened out close to perfection. No bumps or dips. There were no missing bricks. Everything was aligned and straight. The shoulders of the road were adorned with flowers of every color and short green grass. The sun shone bright, mirrored by the sheen of the brilliant yellow bricks.

Now here is my analogy. I'm not traveling this road...I am the road. At times I am in disrepair and need maintenance big time. The only way to get the road fixed up it to call upon the best repairman around, my Savior Jesus Christ. He smooths out my rough patches, shines light upon my life and brings out the true beauty in me. The atonement is infinite and is real.

I have seen this transformation in my life many times. And I (like all of us) go from my ideal state back to the shabbiness and darkness often. But I KNOW that I can make my way back through my Savior's atonement. So much is learned through trials and this is one thing that I have been so grateful to have brought to my attention. I am so much happier when I stay close to my Savior and Father in Heaven. Trials are lighter and I  see the service that I can be to others when I am in "good repair".