Cheerful

My darling 13-month-old son David is sick. He's had a 102+ degree temperature for the better part of the past three days. He is whiney and needy and miserable. He also laid in my lap for a solid hour just to be held. I'm pretty sure that's never happened before.

This sudden spike in David's needs has made managing my homeschool schedule taxing. In fact lots of things have happened suddenly to tax me.

I woke up this morning dreading how this 12-hour stretch might go. Then I had an idea. Why don't we start this day with a prayer?

My Mom used to have a cross-stitched saying hanging in our kitchen that said, "If your day is hemmed with prayer it is less likely to unravel."

I usually pray with Adam, but this morning I prayed with the kids too.

Then I took a deep breath and read my scriptures. Doctrine and Covenants section 123, when I came to verse 17 I knew this message was just for me, "Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God and for his arm to be revealed."

Today this was my mantra, "Cheerfully do all things that lie in your power."

As a result, I have a new favorite scripture. I know God our Heavenly Father loves me. His arm has been revealed in my daily life. My faith is stronger. Now I just need to work on the "cheerfully" part.