Jesus Lives at Grandma's House

I guess this post is really a sequel to last week's post, but I couldn't let such a sweet moment pass by without recording it somewhere.

This past weekend was our church's General Conference. Growing up, this mostly just meant that we got to sit at home, watch church on TV while wearing pajamas, and eat M&Ms. Now, it is an opportunity to have my questions answered and my soul revived, and eat M&Ms. 

This weekend was no exception. There was a talk for every concern of my soul, from how to deal with three-year-old power struggles (seriously! There was a talk about that!) to why God gives us health challenges. I learned so much about my Savior and my divine role in establishing his kingdom. I wish I could share with you every quote that I noted, but that would take far too long. I am very excited to go back and study these words and to be able to lovingly say to my Heavenly Father, in much the same timid voice my daughter uses after she has been disciplined or taught, "I understand."

We watched the last session of Conference with my in-laws. This wasn't very productive for them, as our kids would much rather cuddle and play with their grandparents than with their parents, so it did mean that Scott and I got to hear more of that session of conference than any other. 

After conference had ended, we sat around visiting for a few hours. Sly delighted everyone with his most recent tricks--walking, folding his arms for prayer, talking in a loud voice. His favorite trick was to escape from the family room before we noticed he was gone. He kept working his way into their front room, which is kept nice and sacred and has quite a few breakables, making it impossible for us to leave Sly in there alone.

We thought he was going for the piano, because that is a favorite noise-maker of his at our house. After going after him a few times, Scott noticed that it wasn't the piano drawing our son into that room.

He was mesmerized by their small Christus statue. He was trying so hard to get the words out, but all we heard was "Jesus!" and "blpffft" sounds. He would crawl to the middle of the room and sit on the rug for a few moments, in reverent awe. Slowly he would work his way closer and closer to the statue, his smile growing.

 We may not have understood the words he was trying to tell us, but we understood the message: This is where I want to be. With Jesus.

After Scott shared with his mom the reason for Sly's escapades, she shared with us that my two-and-a-half year old niece had done the same thing. This particular niece is a bit wild and rambunctious, full of energy and spunk. For her to be calm and quiet is a rare thing! When they couldn't find her and the house was quiet, they started searching. They found her in the front room, holding Jesus' hand.

What a blessing these little children are. I know we're the ones that are supposed to be "leading and guiding" but lately, it seems that I am the one being taken by the hand and taught.

The very last talk of conference yesterday touched my soul in ways that you wouldn't think a talk about old men (really, that was the topic of his talk) could do to a 28-year-old woman. But one of the points of his talk was that no one is exempt from trials, especially physical health challenges. This has long been a concern of my heart. There are so many things I want to do--and yet, physically, these days I find myself unable to do much of anything but the bare minimum, and sometimes not even that.

In this particular talk, Elder Bednar shared a piece of advice Elder Hales had given him: "When you find yourself unable to do the things you used to do, you find yourself only doing the most important things."

I may not be able to do much these days. But I am capable of doing the most important things: giving cuddles, reading stories, teaching about Jesus, praying with my children, reading scriptures, singing songs.

I know many times our parents--my children's grandparents--wish there was more that they could do. I think a lot of the times they don't realize how much they do--and how, to me, the most important things they do for our family is reinforce the values of faith and love that we are working so hard to instill in our children. Because of them, my children have beautiful pictures of Jesus hung in their rooms, and that is the first thing they look at in the morning (of their own accord). Because of them, we are able to set an example of Temple attendance and worship. Because of them, my children know that they have two additional refuges from storms of the world besides just their own home.

And, as evidenced by my son's actions yesterday, there is something else they know.
Jesus lives at Grandma's house.