8/31/2017 - Section 68:7-35

August 31, 2017

Section 68:7-35

Prayer, Sabbath Day Observance,

This section is also directed to missionaries about to depart on their assigned missions. It emphasizes the importance of prayer and Sabbath Day observance. Those are two things-- that when we become lax in doing them—subtly change our relationship with the Lord. I know--and the scriptures remind me often –that the Lord will reach out to me when I call upon Him. When I stop calling upon Him regularly, He must—for my own good and my own education—wait until I work to improve MY side of the relationship. When I begin again to call upon Him and keep Him in my life loop, He responds. I am glad that at this stage of my life, I do not have to work to re-learn this lesson so frequently.

There are many verses in this section about families and parenting which touched my heart—especially since I’m started my mission assignment of reading the Book of Mormon and today that reading was about Lehi’s dream and the iron rod. While there were many times I certainly fell short as a parent, I always tried to pick myself up and worked to get back on a path the Lord would approve of. One of my deepest joys is the love Bob and I feel FROM and FOR our children. I count that deep and comforting love as one of the greatest blessings of our lives. It is the reason that each of our children and each of our grandchildren are in our prayers every day….in fact, TWICE a day –at least twice a day IF I can get to my bed prior to the comatose that descends upon my mind at the end of the day.  And even when I hit those hard days, I often wake up in the middle of the night and say my prayers lying very still—hoping not to wake Bob—and feeling the love of the Lord surround me. Those are some of my sweetest nights.