Sweet Moment

The other night at dinner Lucy started squawking when it was time to pray. I was startled by her unusual behavior. Usually prayer time is one of her favorite things. After observing the situation for a moment, I realized that she really wanted her puppy who was nearby on the floor.

"Okay, whatever" I thought "I guess it's not really a big deal if she holds her puppy while we pray." I handed her the puppy.

I then watched a very sweet and tender moment as Lucy folded the puppy's arms and then bowed her own head in preparation for the prayer. After the prayer she opened the puppy's arms up wide the way she always does when we say Amen.

What a very sweet and tender moment. This moment led me to a little pondering:

Little children have the spirit with them so strongly. Can you imagine how wonderful it would be if we were all able to share our testimony of the gospel with others as easily as Lucy showed her puppy how to pray. It is so easy, yet so hard. We worry so much about what others will think. Maybe this is part of what it means to "be like a little child." Don't make easy things harder than they are, don't worry about what everybody thinks, just do it!

I am very thankful for my little missionary, even if right now all she can do is teach pretend puppies. I am so thankful I had the patience at this particular moment to give her the puppy instead of making her wait until after the prayer like I was tempted to do. I would have missed a sweet scene and she would have been frustrated that the puppy didn't get to pray.

It is hard to know what upsets a toddler sometimes, but let us always remember they are filled with the light of Christ. They want to do good, but they are learning and thinking about so many things at one time, sometimes they just can't keep it all together. The more I get to spend time with Lucy in my life the more certain I become that if we watch and listen closely to the little children in our lives, they will remind us of the things that really matter while we are here on this Earth.