Macie's prayer

Sunday I went Visiting Teaching. I had just barely got the Ensign Saturday in the mail, so I hadn't had a lot of time to prepare a message from a Conference talk, so I just flipped to one. It just so happened to be this one by Elder Bednar.

Here's just a little part of it:
"As our sons were growing up, our family did what you have done and what you now do. We had regular family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. Now, I am sure what I am about to describe has never occurred in your home, but it did in ours.

Sometimes Sister Bednar and I wondered if our efforts to do these spiritually essential things were worthwhile. Now and then verses of scripture were read amid outbursts such as “He’s touching me!” “Make him stop looking at me!” “Mom, he’s breathing my air!” Sincere prayers occasionally were interrupted with giggling and poking. And with active, rambunctious boys, family home evening lessons did not always produce high levels of edification. At times Sister Bednar and I were exasperated because the righteous habits we worked so hard to foster did not seem to yield immediately the spiritual results we wanted and expected....

...Sister Bednar and I thought helping our sons understand the content of a particular lesson or a specific scripture was the ultimate outcome. But such a result does not occur each time we study or pray or learn together. The consistency of our intent and work was perhaps the greatest lesson—a lesson we did not fully appreciate at the time.

In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting.

Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33). Consistency is a key principle as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become more diligent and concerned in our own homes."

Bedtime is not my favorite time of the day. I'm usually pretty frazzled by that point, but we have our routine. PJ's, teeth brushed, then Jeramy reads a chapter from the Book of Mormon (which is full of "sit down, be quiet, quit touching each other, etc.), then whoever is to pray for the night gets to tell what they are thankful for.

Macie always says "It's my turn to pray!" So we say all right, but she then will throw her head back and cry, "I no want to pray." We don't really understand why she does this, but she does and so we do this routine with her pretty much every night and she never will pray.

Tonight was no different. "I want to pray." She says.
Jeramy says "All right, go ahead." She looked him in the eye and said, "I thankful for Grandpa." (I had just told her we were going on a long ride with Grandpa Gary the next day). Then she started her prayer in the tiniest little whisper

"Heavenly Father....thank you Grandpa...thank you sissy....thank you Maddie....thank you Mommy...thank you you (as she pointed to Jeramy- and yes, I was peeking) thank you Macie...Amen." And then she squealed in delight and we all praised her - even her sisters were so excited for Macie's first prayer.

I know this moment probably isn't all that cool to you, but it made my day! I often find myself thinking, "Why on earth are we doing this?" This talk and this prayer made it all seem a little more important tonight.