Cale's Big Adventure Oct. 17, 2009

I don't usually do this sort of thing, but I've come to realize that if I don't do something, there is no way that I'm ever going to maintain a journal. Oct 17, 2009 was an incredible day for me. My wife and I had the opportunity to see Bob and Alisa Johnson get sealed for time and all eternity in the Columbia River temple. Sharon and I went over the night before and stayed in the Days Inn in Richland, WA. Bob and Alisa stayed in the same motel. At 10 pm we all went out to eat at Applebee's and had a wonderful time talking about whatever topic that came up. We were there til midnight and then moved on to a WinCo foods to get a couple of things. I recently developed a fetish and fascination with Hot Wheels cars and picked up a few while we were there. Honestly, it was heart warming seeing how the Johnson's expressed how nervous they were about entering the temple for the first time. It was difficult sleeping that night due to the anticipation of what the next day would hold for our friends. The next morning came pretty quick and at 6:30 am we were on the road to the temple. Still dark as twilight approached, an amazing feeling of warm swept over as the softly illuminate spire of the temple came into view and enlarged with every passing revolution of the car tires. I have served in the temple numerous times before, but that day there was a new excitement in the air. It was like I was experiencing the joys and anticipation of the temple experience for the first time. We watched Bob and Alisa as they timidly, yet gleefully, approached the ornate doors that were the entrance to the house of the Lord. As we presented our recommends, met with the temple patrons, entered the dressing room, changed into our white clothing, traveled through the halls of that sacred sanctuary of the saints, and met with the Temple President.......something inside whispered that this would be a day to remember. The words of the temple president are all a blur, but the feeling of inexplicable solace pierced my heart and witness to the divine reality of what this would mean for the Johnson's. It's easy to appear as an embellishment, but for some reason the strength of the Spirit bore testimony with such convincing power as to remove any doubt that the temple is what we profess it to be. So, I did my best to escort Bob through the session and was filed with awe and wonder as I saw my friends and family enjoying the brilliance of our final destination at the session's completion. I stood with Bob, Les Michie, Jerry Harrid and our wives as we discussed temple symbolisms and the insights that we gained from the day's session. We were there conversing, meditating, and praying for almost 45 minutes in the Celestial room. That was the longest and most significant amount of time that I have ever spent there. The experience was something that simply defies description. Once another wedding party cleared out, we were all off to the sealing room. Bob honored me by asking if I would be a witness for the sealing. It really meant allot to me as I firmly grabbed hold of the pen that I used to sign my name to the document that was certifying that actualization of this saving ordinance. As the sealer spoke of the reality of the atonement of Jesus Christ and the importance of becoming a joint ere of everything the Father has with Christ through the ordinances of the temple, tears welled up and streamed down my face as a confirmation of the truth of his witness. As he explained that the Father will to give us everything he has if we but give everything we have (albeit nothing in comparison), the stream of tears became a little wider as my capacity to feel joy in that moment increased. And as he confessed that the Savior holds us in a sure place within the outreached grasp of the Father, I looked over at my wife and knew, just knew, that it was all real....all of it. I am thankful for what Bob and Alisa gave me that day, a closeness to the Spirit of the Lord that has been absent for quite some time. As we went about our day, eating at Red Robin, shopping at Best Buy and Target, and eventually finding our way home.......not before Sharon and I spent an hour in a Big Lot when half the city blacked out....(funny story I'll have to document later)..........the world just seemed a little different. Anyhow.....this was for me to write, so if you made it this far through the story, then thanks for reading and I hope you got something out of it........ More Later, Cale Merkley