MY MADISON

My small plates, the moments that mattered most from this week.

I made sixty quarts of applesauce yesterday and this girl stayed by my side until bedtime. Before I started, I needed the dishwasher loaded. I needed pans washed. I asked her to help and she was complaining and throwing a bit of a tantrum. One thing Madison is really good at is asking stupid why questions, that she already knows the answer to, to get under my skin. She was asking why questions until I was ready to punch something. She ended with, "Why do I have to listen to you?" Why mom? Huh? Why?" I said, "I don't know, why do you have to listen to your mom? Why don't you answer that question? Can you think of a good reason why." She dropped her head and said, "Because when you are obedient to your mom, it teaches you to be obedient to Jesus." I almost teared up, I tell you, I went from a red hot engine to a weeping willow. I was so proud. Proud of myself for not punching anything or yelling, but listening to the Holy Ghost and asking her to answer her own question. Proud of her for being wise beyond her years. After that she didn't complain or ask why, she just helped me wash all the pans that had piled up from the last several days. She pushed apples through the processor until bedtime. I was so filled with love for this little girl for her willingness to be obedient and to help me. The thought came to my mind, this girl is ready for her baptism.

James also said something profound this week that touched my soul. We were walking through the Sam's Club and he was being rascally and I said, "If you don't knock it off James, I am just going to quit being your mom." He looked at me in a way only James can and he said, "Mom, I need a Mom really bad. You need a James really bad, so don't quit." I loved his sweet sentiment. If we could all remember his sweet words on those hard days. All precious children really need a mom to nurture and love them and we really need them. My arms would feel so empty without my little ones. I don't ever really want to quit. 

Tonight we were talking about conference as I tucked my sweet little ones into bed. I was telling them how worried I am for our nation and how I want our Savior to come again. I said, did you know that was what conference was all about? Did you know they told us what we need to do to prepare for him to come again. He will not come until his work is done. Then I told them about this quote, "but the truth of God will go froth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." (History of the Church 4:4540).I said missionary work is the key to ushering in the second coming of our Savior.  I said an apostle of Jesus Christ asked us in conference to we a witness of God. I said, "What does that mean to be a witness of God." Sierra said, "Stand by. Doesn't a witness stand by the person they are witnessing for?" She caught me off guard. I said, "What?" She said, "Stand by." She made me think of witness in a way I had never thought of it before. She was picturing a witness in a courtroom. She made me think of a witness in that way. In the courtroom there is a jury that doesn't know the person on the stand. They don't know His story. You need to convince them by your witness that He is who He says He is. They say justice is blind, but it isn't. (Spoiler Alert!) Everything the witness says, his or her appearance, or the way they act is up for questioning. If the witness lives their life pure and you feel they are an honest person, then you are more easily convinced of his testimony. I encouraged my girls to be a witness for Him and to not be afraid of speaking of Him. I said, "How can we fill our lives with statements about Him to witness of Him?" I said, "Sierra, what if you run into a girl at school and she say, I am so fat or ugly. What could you say to witness of Him?" She didn't know, so I suggested, "What if you said, you are a daughter of Heavenly Father. He loves you and He wouldn't be pleased if he heard you talking about yourself like that. You are beautiful, because you are His." I role played a few more scenarios and they went to bed. I am not sure who taught who tonight but I was grateful to be in that space with my babies tonight. 

Alma 32:23 ...little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned. 

I would add... if we will take the time to listen.