... And then love grew

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Elder Nelson's Visit

About a month ago Elder Russell M. Nelson came to our Stake Conference here in Ames, Iowa. Our past Stake Presidency was to be released. Our Stake President is the C.E.S. Area Director and had also been faithfully serving as Stake President for almost 9 years. Earlier this year he lost his sweet wife to cancer. I was lucky enough to grow up with President Cheney, his wife Eileen and their children in our ward and neighborhood. They are a wonderful family and President Cheney, or Joehoney as his wife affectionately called him and we did too, was like a second father to me. I love that man and his family. Anyway we feel it may of had to do with the noble service literally giving his all to the Lord and our Stake, that Elder Nelson came for the release of President Cheney and the calling of a new Presidency.
We, as a stake, prepared for Elder Nelson's coming by reading and studying all of 3 Nephi. It was a neat experience and we learned a lot from 3 Nephi. We were able to attend the adult meeting of Stake Conference on Saturday night. Elder Nelson was of course a wonderful speaker and we were so grateful for the Spirit which accompanied this apostle and taught us what the Lord would have us be doing.
After the meeting was over Daryl and my Dad were going to stay for choir practice, they'd be singing in Stake Conference the next morning, and my Mom and I were going to go home to the kids. As we were about to leave I realized that Daryl still had the car keys. Choir practice happened to be in the front of the chapel right behind where people were shaking Elder Nelson's hand. As I was trying to get to where Daryl was I realized I was going to intersect Elder Nelson as he was making his way toward where I was stuck at the back of the crowd. As he came by me the first thing I noticed where his eyes. They were the brightest eyes I have ever seen. Like he was already looking at heaven. He came up to where I was standing in the middle of a pew with baby Audra and smiled at me. "You have a new little one," he said as he gazed at Audra, who was staring at the ceiling. I got, as I told my Mom, starstruck. Ha. I didn't have any idea what to say to him. So I said "Yes I do!" and nodded with a smile. Again I didn't know what to say. Ha ha. He just looked at me and smiled again and as he walked away he gave my hand that was under Audra holding her a little pat and said "Proud of you." It was a sweet experience.
As I looked back at that experience I felt that his words were directly from Heavenly Father and not only for me but for my sisters Esther and Liza, my sister-in-laws Kathleen, Mary, and Karla, my friends Yolanda, Stacey, Kelly, Bethany, and many others of my family and friends who will be mother's. We are so hard on ourselves sometimes when really we are doing so much better than we think we are. I remember right before Ava was born I was super nervous about being a first time Mom and my Mother sent me a card in the mail. It had a small picture in it of Christ holding a tiny baby and just snuggling it to Him. My Mom had written, "You are never alone in parenting". I have thought of that picture and those words many times. He is there to help us and is proud of us for all we are and strive to be. This Mormon Message sums it up for me:)