Today again, during prayers the impression came again to begin a weekly Sunday comment on the family blog.
During the past few weeks I've spent time with Suzy & Joe's children and Mark and Maria's children while their parents were away and felt the rhythms of their lives and been humbled by the prayers of my grandchildren and the training their righteous parents have given them. And I miss my own little family. Just the presence of everyone in the house and the comfort of interacting with all of you everyday.
Thanks Lori and Wes for giving us this forum and thanks for sharing your family blog with us too. You cannot imagine how much I love it!
So I begin . . .
Every Sunday, am so grateful to be in church. To be "nourished by the good word or God" to hear testimonies. This is my memory of Sunday, January 28, 2007
Today we had a "music" sacrament meeting. After the ordinance of the sacrament members came to the podium and explained why a hymn or primary song they chose was their favorite and then we all sang one or two verses of the song. A young man who has recently lost his father to cancer shared O My Father, a woman from Brazil stood and sang an unfamiliar but beautiful hymn a cappella in her native language, a veteran chose The Star Spangled Banner, and a teenager had the entire congregation singing Popcorn Popping on the Apricot tree, with the actions! A young mother suggested The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning, a young father Praise to the Man.
As part of the choir I sat in the choir seats to support the conductor as we all sang the hymns but I didn't do much singing; the Spirit was so strong that tears often kept me from adding my voice. The response was overwhelming and the time for sharing was quickly gone. I felt I had missed my opportunity.
But later in Relief Society as we discussed Elder Oaks address: He Heals the Heavy Laden (Ensign, November 2006), I shared with the sisters the song that I found coming to my mind during Wes' surgery and recovery. The words came unbidden and were a great comfort to me as I stepped out of the hospital door in the icy winter travelling to the hotel and back to be with Lucy so Lori could be with Wes, or back to the hospital to be with Wes so Lori could spend a a few minutes with Lucy. Over and over again the words and the melody of the primary song I Feel My Savior's Love came to me. Initially I was surprised and wondered why I would have this sweet music in my mind at such a terrible time and then I tearfully understood it was an answer to prayer. He was taking care of me, He was carrying all of us and most especially Wes, his Lori and little Lucy. I realized that not only can a song of the heart be a prayer, it can also be an answer to prayer.
The words of that sweet primary song continue to be a prayer: "He knows I will follow Him, Give all my life to Him, I feel my Savior's love, the love he freely gives me." and the answer to a prayer: "I feel my Savior's love, Its gentleness enfolds me, and when I kneel to pray, My heart is filled with peace. "
