Baby steps forward
We had a wonderful weekend in Palmyra and I should record a couple of my favourite moments so that I can reflect on them later. We drove down to New York with my kidlets and parents-in-law and camped at our regular campsite, "Cheerful Valley" - a place we've been going to now for 13 years! The trip down has become almost routine to us - we know our schedule and regular pit stops and rarely deviate from that. But every year I learn something new and every year I gain a greater testimony of the restoration of the gospel and the wonderful blessings we have as members of the church. I love seeing things through the eyes of my children - it's almost like I have never seen things before and am seeing it for the first time over and over again.
As we watched the pageant, I loved watching Buzz watch it with great excitement. When members of the cast introduced themselves they asked him questions and along with his grandparents, they seemed astonished with his answers. He knew the characters and the storyline and was thrilled to see it enfold in front of him. When Abinidi recited the 10 Commandments to King Noah, he turned to me with a huge smile and gave me two big 'thumbs up' with his approval (because they said it right!) and when we asked him about his favourite part afterwards, he couldn't pick just one. He asked if he could tell us five?! I helped him reflect on the trip today as we wrote in his journal he said something that I thought was so wonderful for someone so very young in the gospel. When I asked him how he felt in the sacred grove he said, "When I was in the grove I was thinking about Joseph Smith and that I could pray just like him. I imagined he was there with me."
When we were in the visitor's centre at the Hill, we went and waited reverently, sitting at the foot of the Christus statue while beautiful music surrounded us. Belle sat on my lap and looked up at the Savior with wonder and awe. She knew who it was when I asked her, and when I pointed out the marks of the nails in His hands and His feet she looked at me with concern. "Did He die??" she asked. I answered her and reminded her about the crucifixtion. She gazed back at the Savior and then back at me. "WHY did they put him on the cross?? WHY did He die??" It choked me up to answer her and explain in the simplist of ways that it was because He loves her. I knew she felt the reverence and in a small way, the significance of that event and what it means to me. Later on, when she was handed a small picture of the Savior, she clutched it tightly to her chest and made sure that it was in a safe place for the remainder of the trip. If only we could all be as faithful,trusting, innocent and loving as a small child of God.
It's apparent that often my own spiritual experiences are a result of trying to teach the gospel to my children. I bore my testimony when we were reading our scriptures together late last night and I truly believe that they sense my sincerity. I have found that my knowledge of the scriptures has increased, even as I have been teaching them to my kids on a basic level. Sometimes we just need to get back to the basics.
Something a woman at church said today really hit home with me. I don't know the exact quote, but she said something along the lines that Heavenly Father doesn't expect us to do everything all of the time, but He expects us to be doing SOMETHING all of the time. This was specifically in relation to family history, but I think it could be applied to all areas of the gospel. I am not ever going to be doing EVERYTHING right and that's ok. As long as I am always striving to better myself and the lives of those around me ALL of the time. Even if they are just little things or little steps forward which otherwise would be seemingly insignificant to others.
As I have learned, it is these "baby steps" that lead us to something much more eternal as we progress.
As we watched the pageant, I loved watching Buzz watch it with great excitement. When members of the cast introduced themselves they asked him questions and along with his grandparents, they seemed astonished with his answers. He knew the characters and the storyline and was thrilled to see it enfold in front of him. When Abinidi recited the 10 Commandments to King Noah, he turned to me with a huge smile and gave me two big 'thumbs up' with his approval (because they said it right!) and when we asked him about his favourite part afterwards, he couldn't pick just one. He asked if he could tell us five?! I helped him reflect on the trip today as we wrote in his journal he said something that I thought was so wonderful for someone so very young in the gospel. When I asked him how he felt in the sacred grove he said, "When I was in the grove I was thinking about Joseph Smith and that I could pray just like him. I imagined he was there with me."
When we were in the visitor's centre at the Hill, we went and waited reverently, sitting at the foot of the Christus statue while beautiful music surrounded us. Belle sat on my lap and looked up at the Savior with wonder and awe. She knew who it was when I asked her, and when I pointed out the marks of the nails in His hands and His feet she looked at me with concern. "Did He die??" she asked. I answered her and reminded her about the crucifixtion. She gazed back at the Savior and then back at me. "WHY did they put him on the cross?? WHY did He die??" It choked me up to answer her and explain in the simplist of ways that it was because He loves her. I knew she felt the reverence and in a small way, the significance of that event and what it means to me. Later on, when she was handed a small picture of the Savior, she clutched it tightly to her chest and made sure that it was in a safe place for the remainder of the trip. If only we could all be as faithful,trusting, innocent and loving as a small child of God.
It's apparent that often my own spiritual experiences are a result of trying to teach the gospel to my children. I bore my testimony when we were reading our scriptures together late last night and I truly believe that they sense my sincerity. I have found that my knowledge of the scriptures has increased, even as I have been teaching them to my kids on a basic level. Sometimes we just need to get back to the basics.
Something a woman at church said today really hit home with me. I don't know the exact quote, but she said something along the lines that Heavenly Father doesn't expect us to do everything all of the time, but He expects us to be doing SOMETHING all of the time. This was specifically in relation to family history, but I think it could be applied to all areas of the gospel. I am not ever going to be doing EVERYTHING right and that's ok. As long as I am always striving to better myself and the lives of those around me ALL of the time. Even if they are just little things or little steps forward which otherwise would be seemingly insignificant to others.
As I have learned, it is these "baby steps" that lead us to something much more eternal as we progress.