Aware of Our Every Need by Troy Mills

 

Just in case you haven't been following my weekly emails, this month of May, I have been choosing stories as I've gone through each branch of the tree about members of our family that have left us too soon.  (That's true of anyone of passes on, in my opinion).

This story by Troy is very precious to me.  It was submitted early on.  I tend to get my inspiration in the minutes/hours when I first wake up in the early morning.  One morning, I woke up with the thought that I needed to make sure a story was included about Bryan.  I worried though. How should I go about asking Troy and Sandy to include one, not wanting to cause them pain.  Sometimes its hard to put down our stories on paper, because, we in effect, relive those hard times.

Imagine my surprise when I received this story from Troy that very day without me asking at all.  I love it when the Lord prepares me for these things.  It's not that I needed to ask.  Rather, it was evidence to me that I was doing what my Heavenly Father wanted me to do by my asking for our family members to share these stories and that Troy was also prompted to share about Bryan.

Aware of Our Every Need

 

By Troy Mills

July 8, 2014.

 

There are some dates that just impact you deeply to test your faith and July 8, 2014 is one of those days for my family. That is the day when our world was turned upside down and we felt like we had been dropped on our heads. My oldest son Bryan passed away on that day. I will never forget the call I got from his beautiful wife Alyssa. I was on my way home from work when I got the call. Alyssa just said “Bryan’s Dead”. There is nothing I have ever experienced that can disrupt your life quite like that call. After the initial shock of that statement, my mind started going in a thousand different directions. Are you okay, I asked? Realizing that there is no way Alyssa could be okay, I knew we needed to head up to her place to provide what comfort we could. The next task was to break the news to Bryan’s mom  How do you tell someone that their world has just fallen apart? Then I needed to tell Bryan’s siblings. I could only hope that Austin was strong enough to deal with the news and to be there to support his sister Jessica. Next, I made the call to tell Marissa. Marissa was working in New Jersey as a nanny. I called the wife of the family she worked for and asked them to break the news to Marissa. They were so awesome. They immediately went to work and booked her on the first available flight home.

 

I was very worried about how Jessica would handle the news. She and Bryan had been very close growing up. I hoped that Austin would be able to break the news to Jessica in person and be there for her but Marissa ended up calling her before Austin was able to get to her apartment.  Jessica told us that she went outside and sat on the stairs of her apartment as she came to grips with things. As she sat on the stairs a girl from the apartment complex walked by and asked her if she was okay. Jessica said that after she told her what had happened, the girl left and returned a few minutes later with an Otter Pop and just sat with her until we arrived. Jessica didn’t know the girl but she was an Angel when Jessica needed one.

 

Sandy and I jumped into the car and headed toward Provo to meet Jessica then go on to Salt Lake to meet Alyssa. The thoughts that go through your mind at a time like this. Mostly, the question of “why”. I can tell you that without the knowledge of the gospel and the faith that knowledge provides, the question of “why” would be too hard for me to comprehend.

 

We met Alyssa at her Bishop’s home and shed many tears together. Her Bishop asked me if I would like a priesthood blessing. I accepted his kind offer and as he placed his hands on my head, I felt what I can only describe as a blanket of peace surround me from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. In spite of the grief I felt, I knew that God loved me, that he knew what I was going through, and that this too was part of His plan. That feeling of peace gave me the strength to make it through the next several days. It also gave me the faith to understand that death is a part of God’s plan and is not the end.

 

I can only describe the next several days as a blur. I know that without my faith in God and my knowledge of the gospel, I could not have made it through that difficult time. That experience helped me to better understand that God is acutely aware of our every need and because of his love for us, He will bless us if we only ask.

The deadline to submit any more stories is next Sunday.  I've had several family members mention they are working on something so please send it my way.  I will then have a final page count and be able to give you a printed and e-copy price if you'de like to order. 

I will continue to post on the MillsFamilyBook blog until I run out of stories.  Thanks for all your support and kind words in this endeavor.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,

Valerie