Ducks in a Row

Whilst in Washington this summer, we visited the Ridgefield Wildlife Park. We drove the beautiful path through the park and also walked a little trail about a mile long. It was a warm day in the sunshine, and pretty soon Warren removed his shirt. (After a few minutes, Avery did, too.) The kids got tired and a little cranky-whiny, but there were little treasures along the way: tiny green frogs on the bridges, bugs in the grass, signs to read about napping turtles, spider webs in tree branches that glittered in the sun. With all the changing landscape, I felt like I was in that old computer game Oregon Trail, but with much better graphics. Warren took pictures along the way, I had Madeleine strapped to me, and by the end of the trail, was pushing Abigail and Avery in Madeleine's stroller.

The best treasure we discovered, was more along the line of life's lessons. At one especially whiny, thirsty, hot moment, I remembered the family home evening lesson I had given just the night before, about the Mormon pioneers and their trek west. We had started with the song, "Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked" and ended with the song "Come, Come Ye Saints." At both points, I emphasized how singing had helped pass the time and lightened the hearts of the pioneers. So now here we were the next day, on a hard-packed trail, without any water and with lots of tired little legs. We talked a little bit about the lesson of the previous evening and decided to try it out. So we sang as we walked, and walked and walked. And it worked. The children perked up, we laughed, we smiled. Best of all was to hear Abigail relate the tail to her dad that night, essentially sharing her testimony that music really can change your mood and lift your heart above the cares of the world.
*note: Warren is wearing his favorite pants; he calls them his waterproof pants and they are a size 4 and highwater --much more so now--and he loves them anyway

Fast forward a month, and tonight I had another sweet experience that I thank Heavenly Father for sharing with my children. Our old neighbor around the corner, Alta, was moved into a care center a couple years ago. We met her because my dear mail lady let me know that she needed some visitors. That was the beginning of our friendship. Now we go and see her in the Care Center around the other corner. The kids, especially Warren, did not want to go tonight. They didn't voice any specific reasons, but I remember what it felt like to visit "the rest home" when I was a kid. I don't think I felt very excited, either. We went anyway, and before we got out of the car, we had a prayer in the parking lot that we would be able to feel God's love for those who we would visit and joy in visiting them. As we walked down the stinky halls, Warren still expressed his desire to be elsewhere, and I asked him if he thought he could be like Jesus, and go to those places and to people that other people didn't want to go. Warren replied, "But Jesus wanted to go to those places!" "Yes," I said, "because He loved those people. Do you think if you say a prayer in your heart that Jesus will help you feel His love for these people that you will?" I'm not sure he replied. But when we got to the room where Alta and several other elderly folk were, I got my answer. Warren walked right up to Alta and said, "Alta, I just got a haircut tonight, so I might look different from the last time you saw me. I'm in first grade." Then he stayed near her as we talked to her. After a few minutes he noticed the games in the corner and asked Alta if he was allowed to play one with her. So they played a round of Connect Four. So, just in case you were wondering, God still answers prayers, and miracles still happen. God does speak, and tonight He spoke to the heart of a 6-year-old boy.