Feb 25--Dear Elder: Blessings

Hi, Matt.  I am getting ready to send this letter off.  The week has been crazy with installers coming in and out, but now all the cabinets are in except the damaged ones.  I did not do very well when I got back from Cassandra's.  For one thing, I didn't sleep the entire night before, and then got to bed at 2:00 am the day I got home.  Thursday, stress from remodeling and worry about the family kept me up most of the night.    I did a lot of praying and pondering on the life and atonement of Jesus Christ which brought me some relief, but no sleep.

Friday, I woke up an entire mess, but Heavenly Father came to my rescue and answered my prayers by sending what started out as a big trial and ended up being a lesson and a comfort crafted perfectly for me. Friday morning, Thomas missed the bus to go to a festival for jazz band.  That was partly his fault and partly my fault, but anyway, I decided to leave behind the load of things I needed to do and drive him to the festival which was 40 minutes away.  When I picked him up from school, he begged to go home, but my mind was made up and I insisted that he go.  He was really mad at me because it was 8:15, and they were supposed to perform at 9:00 and he didn't figure he'd make it.  Long story short, with lots of prayer and guidance from the Holy Ghost, we made it through a snow storm, icy and slippery roads, and a major traffic jam to a place I'd never been, without a cell phone or clear directions, all in time for Thomas to not only perform, but to warm up a bit beforehand.

I'm not very bright sometimes, especially when I am sleep deficit and stressed, but as I neared the school, the thought came to me, "You know, you could go in and watch the performance."  Duh.  I know it was the Holy Ghost helping me.  So, guess what?  Thomas played the main part of an entire song!  He was up front at the microphone playing the whole time while the rest of the band accompanied.  Then he has two little solos in another song.  That's two out of three songs, and he didn't want to go!  Well, he thought we couldn't make it, and it really was a miracle.  I felt the Holy Ghost so strongly telling me to go.  As I left the auditorium, I looked up, and there on the wall in big letters were the words, "What Lies Behind Us and What Lies Before Us are Tiny Matters Compared to What Lies Within Us."  I've looked up the quote since, an no one is sure who said it, but I know on that day, at that moment, God said it, and He said it just to me.

What was inside of me changed entirely.  I drove home full of gratitude without a thought about my previous worries.  Back at home, I gave little thought to my previous set-backs and got to work.  Arranging the new cupboards, which had given me so much stress before, worked out beautifully, and the experience with Thomas helped me to understand what small course corrections to take in my parenting now that will greatly strengthen the family in the future.

Matt, I know that Heavenly Father loves you even more than I do and that He will help you every step of the way.  Put your trust in Him and He will direct your paths!  Have a wonderful week.

Love,
Mom