Like a Child

This was a hard week, but it started with a tender mercy last Sunday. We had a special Stake meeting because Elder Bednar was in town. It was a privilege to hear from him in that setting; it was more relaxed than General Conference and he shared some personal stories with us. There were some things that I needed to hear, and they came through the stories he shared.

As I’ve pondered over those messages this week, I’ve felt more like a little child than I have in a long, long time. It’s felt like learning to tie my shoes, ending up with the laces in a knot, and knowing that even though my shoes aren’t falling off, the bows don’t look quite the way they’re supposed to. It’s also felt like falling off while learning to ride a bike, feeling sore, and not being sure I want to get back on. I imagine it’s felt the same as learning to walk.

Those messages from last Sunday came with the same disparity of strength and wisdom as a parent would give to a child trying to tie shoes, ride a bike, or walk. It was as if someone was next to me telling me, “You can do this!”, “That try was ok; don’t worry, you’ll do better next time”, and “You’re doing the right thing, just keep going.”

I’m so grateful the Lord sent His servant to bring me those messages.

There were some pleasant events at the end of this week as well. I went on a short walking/ghost tour through part of the colony with some members of my ward (one of the ward members is a licensed tour guide; giving tours through the colony without a license will get you a ticket). The stories were interesting and diverting, and we followed up the tour with ice cream cones at Baskin Robins.

Also, I finally went for my first bike ride of the year, and took a few pictures along the way to document the end of spring. (At least, it feels like the end of spring to me. It’s been muggy and summerish the last few days.)

And, I talked with my mom today, who is wonderful and good. As the primary children sang for Mother's Day in Sacrament Meeting this morning, I wished I could go back to being a child for just a few minutes and sing for my mom in her meeting. Then follow it up with a big hug.