Today’s Reading: 3 Nephi 18: 15-30
21 Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.
I was young, maybe five-years-old when my brother and I were asked to kneel in family prayer. It wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last time, but for some reason this time stood out. We obediently knelt down in front of the fuzzy brown couch that reminded me of a giant teddy bear. I closed my eyes, buried my face in the seat cushion, and folded my arms. As my mother gave the prayer, I’m sure I wiggled around restlessly, seeming not to listen. But I was listening–wiggling, but also listening.
At one point during the prayer, the wiggles stopped. My mother was praying about me: “Thank you for Courtney. Please bless her to make friends at school, please bless that her cold will get better soon. . .” I don’t remember all of what she said, but I do remember this: the love I felt from my mom. I, like most children, had a knack for overlooking signs of love from my mother–the acts of steady, daily dedication: Things like cooking wholesome meals, chauffeuring to various events, cleaning socks, sinks, and squirmy little bodies, the bedtime stories, the tucking in at night. All of those things seemed to melt together into what I believed were just normal parts of family life. I didn’t see them for the acts of love that they were. But this prayer was somehow different–different from other acts of love and different from any other prayer. I wasn’t just hearing this prayer. . .I was feeling it. The feeling so astonished me that I pried my face off the couch, opened my eyes mid-prayer and stared at my still-praying mom. “My Mommy loves me” I thought. I felt as though someone or something was hugging my heart, probably one of my first times feeling the Spirit.
I know there is truth in Elder Groberg’s words:
Think of the power for good as you gather your family together and thank God for all of his blessings. Think of the eternal significance of daily thanking him for each member of your family and asking him to guide and bless and protect each one[i].
Looking back, I’m grateful for the love I felt from my Mom during that prayer. I’m also grateful for her example in doing the small and simple things that bring us closer to God. Our family wasn’t perfect at holding family prayer, but we tried, and that mattered.
After growing up in the bitter cold of Alberta Canada and serving a mission in the scalding heat of Tucson Arizona, I finally settled for the “moderate” climate of Utah. I met my best friend and love of my life at BYU where I received my degree in Marriage and Family Studies. I stay at home with my two little girls, teach marriage classes with my husband, and run an alumni Facebook group. I love to write, bake, travel, teach, and feast upon the words of Christ, but my favorite happy thought of all is going on weekly dates with my husband!
I must admit to tears… again at one of your beautiful posts.
Wow! Thanks Court!!!