Each Life That Touches Ours for Good

This morning, I went to the funeral services for Capt. Cory Jenkins. He and his wife, Brooke, were two of the many great friends I made in the (one and only) University 7th Ward. Granted, I wasn't extremely close to Cory, but I did know him enough to count him among my friends. I was touched to be at Cory's funeral services. The Stake Center was packed with family, friends, and even strangers who came to honor Cory, a Physician's Assistant for the US Army, who was killed in a road side bomb, just one month after being deployed to Afghanistan. Cory left behind his wife, Brooke, and their 10-week old daughter, Reagan.

It was the closing song of those services that has prompted me to even write this post. We sang, "Each Life That Touches Ours for Good":

Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those who love.

What greater gift dost thou bestow,
What greater goodness can we know
Than Christlike friends, whose gentle ways
Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

When such a friend from us departs,
We hold forever in our hearts
A sweet and hallowed memory,
Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.

For worthy friends whose lives proclaim
Devotion to the Savior’s name,
Who bless our days with peace and love,
We praise thy goodness, Lord, above.

This song was fitting for a man like Cory and even more so for Brooke, who has always been a strong woman and a great example of faith and charity.

The song was also a timely reminder for me, in two ways.

First of all, I have been so blessed with friends and family and acquaintances who have touched my life for good; whose Christlike examples have filled my life with peace and love. I need to remember and show more gratitude for that amazing gift in my life.

And, secondly, it made me think about the kind of person I have been, the kind of person I am now and the kind of person I hope to be. Would a song like this be fitting for me?

Do my words and deeds
reflect the love and mercy of the Lord?

Am I the kind of person who will strengthen the faith of others?

Will people's lives be enriched through knowing me?

Does my life proclaim devotion to the Savior's name?

I do not have intentions for this post to be a pity party for me and an invitation for all of you to comment on how my life has touched yours for good. I know that I am a fundamentally good person, and there are special people in my life who have privately and sincerely told me of how I've touched their lives for good. I am indeed grateful for that. My intentions, instead, are to remind myself (publicly, I guess) that I can do better. I can be more kind to everyone. I can be an energy giver, and not an energy taker. I can make it my mission to touch every life for good.

The passing of Cory (and other friends) is a good reminder to me of how fragile life is. How unexpectedly things can change. How crucial it is for me to "be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me." I have a good life now. Heavenly Father blesses me daily. I just need to choose to feel gratitude for the life I've been given and not wait for some future moment of happiness.