Today, we took a temple trip to Detroit- 2 hours away. We were very excited to go.
Mariah and Juliana dressed themselves in pretty skirts in their excitement for "temple day."
In our church, when we are ready to make deeper covenants and commitments to the Lord, we have an interview with our Bishop (who is our pastor of our congregation/ward) and then our Stake President (who is the president over several congregations/wards within the area). Then we receive a recommend to enter the Lord's holy house which is our temple.
So, here I was without a recommend. I was sad, but at least my husband would be able to go to the temple. I decided I would wait outside the temple with the children and feel the peace of the temple on the grounds.
Everything was packed in the van, all the children were in their seats, I was in the passenger seat, and the car was running... and we waited... and waited... and waited... Abe wasn't coming out. We had to be in Detroit by a certain time, and we were rapidly running out of time!
I returned to the house and found Abe frantically looking all over his desk for his recommend. I said, "Abe, have you said a prayer?" He said he had not. I sat on the stairs and said a long prayer asking God to please help him to find his recommend.
I knew God already understood our situation, but I explained it to HIM anyway. In my pleading prayer I said, "Heavenly Father, there aren't too many weekends that we can drive to the temple as a family, and I already can't go into the temple this time. We're already packed. Please... can at least one of us be able to bring the blessings of temple worship to our family and into our home? Will you please help Abe find his recommend?"
I finished my prayer and told Abe I was going back to the van to check on the kids. I explained to the children that we had a problem finding Daddy's recommend. I started to get out of the car to go help him look some more, and there was Abe locking up the house. He had found his recommend!! He climbed in the drivers seat, and I looked at him with a big smile and said, "Did you say a prayer?"
He assured me he did and that he found his recommend before I had reached the bottom of the stairs. Jackson said he too had said a prayer seconds before Abe had walked out of the house.
I told Abe that God must have wanted him to make it to the temple today. Abe wisely responded, "God wanted me to know HE was there."
...so true ...so true
Isn't that the whole reason HE gives us these "Daily Miracles" and "Tender Mercies?"
God wants us to know HE is there.
Wonderful! What a great reminder and testimony builder. And it is so nice to see that others go through similar things that I experience. I was on the clean up assignment for the temple. I had banged up my foot pretty badly just a few days before the assignment. Walking was slow and cautious. Cleaning the temple would be, uh - difficult. But, I perservered. The DAY OF my assignment (Friday), I hit my toe so hard I thought it sure had popped off and when the blue light began to swirl around my head I thought I was going to meet my maker. (yes, all over a toe). As I recuperated my mind thought, "ah, that cunning plan of the devil..." and then I chuckled and realized, "he doesn't want me even near the temple, even just to clean it. Well forget him!" I iced my toe all day. I was determined. Then it was time for me to leave for my 9pm assignment. I double-checked my wallet for my recommend. Not there. Holy Hannah! Huh? I was sure it was there. Frantic searches, which included the baby's room (why, I still don't know). Finally, a very specific and direc prayer, "Father, please forgive me not taking better care of it. I really want to go. Please don't let the Adversary win because of my misplacement." Then, a thought. Check your old wallet. Sure enough. There it was. And let me tell you, my toe hurt like nobody's business...BUT, it was a good hurt. :o)
ReplyDeleteSorry for such a long story. I feel like I told you this story already, but perhaps I didn't. It just seemed to fit here to reaffirm your testimony that our Father in Heaven is indeed with us, at all times, when we need Him.
Love to your family!
THANK YOU for sharing your stories! I love it when you contribute because you write so vividly and with such great humor- even though I do know the pain was not humorous. I don't think you shared this story before... If you did, it was definitely not with such great detail. Thank you for reaffirming my thoughts and experiences! Thank you for the love!! ~ Much, much love to you as well. :-)
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