Verse two

By Beckie Carlson

I don't particularly enjoy having church at 2pm. It feels like the day is over before we even get there. We manage to be late almost every week. I'm ready for a nap before the opening hymn is sung. I also have to admit that it is hard to keep our activities 'sabbath -worthy' when we sleep in half the day, laze around, and end up watching movies til it's time to go. The only real benefits, beside the sleeping in , are the opportunities for me to actually iron a few male shirts before we go. No more looking like homeless men rolling off their benches to come to church. We are wrinkle free! Most days....

My morning was extra special today because of a certain uninvited guest. Apparently, I have been the unknowing host of a 'missing person' for the last four days. Now, I can understand partly because I hid a friend in my parent's house when I was in third grade. True, the 'friend' was a kitten about the size of a man's shoe, but it was a friend and it was hidden. 

I do not understand how a person can climb up the outside of a house and climb in a window and feel all warm and fuzzy about that. I also can't understand why I stopped setting the house alarm. Darn cool nights!

After dealing with the police (always a joy), making muffins (that tasted BAD), cleaning the kitchen (there was an ox in my sink...), and trying unsuccessfully to talk a surly teen into going to church, I was ready for a spiritual feast. 

We were actually a few minutes early so I was able to quiet my mind and lose my boys to the foyer before we began the meeting. My ward has really been nice lately. It might be due to my relief society lessons and the fact that I tend to use bad language or be overly sarcastic, but people are starting to talk to me. I quite like it. I miss having my grandson to play with so I sat behind another little boy so I could flirt with him during the meeting. He did not disappoint .His shrill laughter was quite the distraction.

Sitting in the chapel, all alone, thinking about the events of the weekend and morning, I started to feel just a bit 'heavy' with the weight of it all. Our opening song was We Thank The Oh God for a Prophet. I know that one, I don't even need the book, but I took it out anyway.As I followed along, I heard the words to the second verse as though they were being spoken directly to me.

"When dark clouds of trouble hang over

and threaten our peace to destroy,

There is hope smiling brightly before us

and we know that deliverance is night.

We doubt not the Lord nor his goodness

We've proved him in days that are past..."

I've always loved this song, but I never really heard this verse like I did today. I do have dark clouds of trouble hanging over me. I am sad at times due to the choices of my children, as well as some of my own choices. I've made mistakes. I wonder and question if I've made too many. Hearing this song, I realized that I don't doubt the Lord. He has been proven in days of past in my own life. He has never let me down. 

I choose to keep my chin up and look forward to that perfect brightness of hope that smiles before me. This too shall  pass. This shall be for my good. My Savior has suffered this and more for me. Be still.

Cause I said so.

Photo credit: www.brightnessofyourdawn.blogspot.com