Moments and Messages

I believe that some of the neatest blessings are reserved for women who sacrifice. When something you’ve been trying to teach for so long finally sticks, or that tiny smile on a child's face late at night, can have the answers to so many of your prayers. It can tell you things straight from God you've been waiting so long to hear, or just remind you of a few important things that you forgot about how wonderful you are and how aware and how much He loves you...

 It's 1 am, and I look over to see two gorgeous doe eyes staring right at me. "hey you!" I say with a soft voice and a big smile. Her eyes brighten and her lips pull back into a gorgeous gummy smile, like me saying hi to her just made her life. The smile stays and she just keeps looking straight into my eyes.

  A week ago, Alex and I were playing with Nhiya, our 7 week old daughter. Enjoying being a new family and Nhiya's new ability to smile. And one point we get quiet and just look at Nhiya with such amazement that she is ours! Suddenly her eyes brighten, and her lips soften into a huge smile, looking back and forth at me and Alex. My eyes welled up with tears. This wasn’t the first time Nhiya had smiled at us, but this was the first time there was a message with her smile. - First off, let me say that I know that everyone has a spirit. I believe that that spirit is the same spirit we had before we came to this life. I know that that same spirit grew in intelligence and learned and lived with God before we came here to be housed in mortal bodies so we can experience hands on good from bad and choose for ourselves. I also believe that children are born innocent, and their spirits are more connected to their spirits and you can see it in their eyes and feel it by being in their presence.- With that being said, the message was that she was happy she chose us. She was happy being a family with Alex and I. It might seem like we just met, but we knew each other before. I knew I chose right.  Heavenly Father also spoke to me through her. Not with words but with a feeling, as He usually does. If that feeling had words, it would say: “ You are doing a good job and I am proud of you two. I knew I could trust this little one with you two. You have made me so very pleased.”

In the quiet moments of this night, looking over into her gorgeous light filled eyes staring at me, depending on me for all of her needs, and she smiles. She smiles without provocation. She smiles with a message again. Stronger than usual, maybe my soul has been wanting to hear it and it’s just been so busy and so loud I haven’t taken the time to hear it...           

  It says, "you have no idea how much I love you. Simply"

Mothers are called to bare a unique cross. Each of us a different kind at different times in our life. Strains and trials of the mind, the heart, the body, the spirit, etc. Our tender hearts can sometimes hurt more when someone we love is hurt or wronged, more than we would if it were us. By nature we are called to a divine sacrifice as mothers. First responders to matters of the heart, even when we don't think we have the strength or the knowledge to do so. So many have mothers needed to sacrifice one way or another. Something I have come to know through my mission, and I have felt the translation over to motherhood, even though I am new to it, is that the sweetest and grandest touching blessings are RESERVED for those exact women who answer that divine call of sacrifice. Whether your children are biological or not, whether you consider your Sunday school class like your children or not, whether it’s your niece nephew or friends, whatever your stewardship, those blessings are there and just as laser guided and sweet. He asks so little of us in the grand scheme of things yet, when you feel that pull of the spirit in moments of tender mercies with your children, it doesn't feel like a sacrifice anymore. It was only giving back what was His in the first place. That is when we truly feel the purpose of being here on this earth and serving others and our Master in its purest form. That is when we feel the tender blessings that are only reserved for women who sacrifice.