What a Wonderful World

You know that song, "What a Wonderful World"? It's one of my favorites. When I am having one of those days, I like to play it on my piano and think of the words. It usually makes me feel better. Well... today was actually one of those days that are mentioned in the song. I was determined to have a good day and to be spiritually uplifted. I began my day with prayer and tried to keep that spirit with me throughout the day. I think that when you begin the day right, even if there are a few bumps along the way, they don't seem as significant. This post is meant to open your eyes to some of Heavenly Father's beautiful blessings that often go unnoticed.

Sunday mornings are usually pretty hectic in our household of four kids. My husband has church duties that require him to go to church much earlier than we do, and so I am left alone to get everyone ready. Today was different. I asked my children to get ready and they did. There was no fuss about what they were to wear and no mention of lost shoes and/or socks. The only one I had to help get dressed was my three-year old. I helped my daughter brush her hair. For breakfast, I made scrambled eggs and toast. They all ate without any problems. All four of my children sat at the breakfast table and ate their breakfast quietly while I went to my room and got ready. It was nice being able to get dressed and put on my make-up without any little ones at my feet.

I asked the children to get in the car, and there was no fuss about where they were going to sit. There is usually negotiations that take place over who will sit in front. However, I reminded them that it was my #2's turn to sit in front and they were content with that. (He's the one with PDD and you can count on him to keep track of those things.) I had my oldest get my baby in the car seat while I gathered up my bag and purse. (It helped that I prepared my church bag the night before with snacks, books, and misc. items to entertain them during sacrament meeting.) We left the house in plenty of time to get to church on time.

The next obstacle was my most dreaded one.... sacrament meeting. It's an hour long and reverence is the issue. We had a few Family Home Evening lessons on reverence and I was wondering how long it would take before it took. Well... today I saw the fruits of our labors. My oldest, who is a deacon, helped pass the sacrament and also bore his testimony. I was so proud of him. My #2 asked if he could sit with his Primary teacher and he did. He was reverent the entire hour! My daughter is usually good, and she did not disappoint me. Lastly, my baby was not only reverent but sat still during most of the meeting. "Is this what heaven feels like?" I thought to myself. It was an overwhelming feeling of peace and love. I just wanted to wrap my arms around all of my kids and never let go of this moment.

Primary was a challenge for me because I had no voice due to laryngitis and so I had to come up with ways of doing singing time without straining or using my voice. I was blessed to have friends who helped me talk. I whispered what I wanted to say and they in turn "translated" for me. The kids looked at me like they didn't know what to think. However, they had a lot of fun and they sang like I haven't heard them sing in a long time. I am so thankful for our wonderful pianist. Without her, I am not sure if I could have pulled it off. She is truly a blessing.

After Primary we had an incident occur with one of the kids. He was horse playing with an older child and ended up getting tossed onto the ground. He hit his head not once, but TWICE! It was a freak accident, but it scared his mom to death because he actually blanked out and was unresponsive for a few seconds. They seemed like an eternity to her, I am sure. It was so neat to see how everyone handled the situation. We were blessed to have a nurse who happens to be the Primary president there. She was able to make an initial assessment and calm the situation. Within seconds, priesthood came and eventually they were able to give him a blessing. It was as if this child was surrounded by angels. I witnessed a true miracle today. In the end he was okay. He was taken to a doctor and they performed all the necessary tests. Other than a very scary moment, he was unharmed. I am sure that one day he will look back on this experience and have a stronger testimony of the blessings that come with the power of the Priesthood. What a blessing to know that your Father in Heaven has given you a father on earth to do that work.

On the ride home, I noticed that the sky was so blue today. The weather was a little cooler than I would have liked, but it wasn't chilly. We got home safely and without too much noise. Of course, the first thing the kids wanted was food. I opened up the fridge and found JUST the right amount of left-overs to feed all four of them. I used the microwave and lunch was ready in minutes. We had a good variety and so no one complained.

The day ended as peacefully as it began. We tucked the children in bed and there was no fuss. No one tried to get out of their bed and wake others up. As I sit here now they are all asleep in their own bed. I wonder if they had as good a day as I did? My husband is watching the Super Bowl, and I am doing what I love most... writing. I sure wish I had more days like this. However, I am reminded of the fact that you can't have joy without sorrow. You can't appreciate good without the bad. You have to experience pain to enjoy pleasure. This is the way it is supposed to be. I am just thankful for this beautiful day and that I was able to appreciate it.
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Ecclesiastes III (King James Version):
3:1 To every thing there is a season, and
a time to every purpose under the heaven
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