#7: He Weeps With Me

While reading in the Book of Moses yesterday,

I found a tender story that reveals the loving nature of our Father in Heaven.

Enoch is blessed with a vision of the Heavens, in which He sees God weeping.  Confused, Enoch praises God and asks,

"How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?  And were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations, and thy curtains are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and also thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever...mercy shall go before thy face and have no end; how is it thou canst weep?"

Enoch sees that God is all powerful; He has all glory, creations, and dominions before Him, yet Enoch sees our Father weeping.  Heavenly Father answers "with all the feeling of a tender parent" and explains His cause for crying.

"Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; and unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection."

I can picture our Heavenly Father, pleading with us, "choose me, your Father!" 

For a short period of time in my life, I did not choose Heavenly Father.  I chose another path.  This decision brought me great sorrow. 

One day, the burden I carried became to heavy to bear.  I sat, curled up in my bed, and cried to my Heavenly Father.  I begged for Him to forgive me for turning away from Him.  I asked if He could still even love me.  At this moment, I felt as if my Father in Heaven cried with me.  I knew that He loved me.  He was so sad that I had made poor choices, and He wept with me as I suffered the consequences. 

But just as our Heavenly Father weeps with us in times of sorrow, He also rejoices when we do repent and come back to Him. 

Never underestimate the love God has for you.  He will never abandon you.  He will rejoice in your successes.  He will sorrow in your heartache.  He will weep as we weep.  He will plead with each of us to choose Him, our Father.