Sunday, October 12, 2008

Two Sabbath Day Thoughts


One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick. Suddenly, my daughter, Aspen, spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. “Dad, I’m thinking of something.” This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“The rain!” she began, “is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away.”

After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond.
“That’s really good, Aspen.”
Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So I asked… “Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?”
Aspen didn’t hesitate one moment with her answer:

“We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us.”

I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.
~Anonymous



Also, today in Relief Society we were talking about the trials that Joseph Smith had to endure... likening the scriptures to ourselves our teacher said that when things get tough for her, or one of her children or even a friend, she just says, "Hitch up your wagon and make it your 15 miles today. I hope to see you at the end of the trail." I really like that... we too must keep on keeping on.... endure to the end. What a great REUNION that will be one day!

Happy Sabbath!

23 comments:

tammy said...

Great thoughts Shaila! I love the wisdom that comes from little ones. And I love the "hitch up your wagon..." I'm going to remember that one.

Lisa Loo said...

Me too! I love Sabbath day thoughts. Like little treasures that keep popping into your head and make you smile. Thanx for sharing!

Jan said...

Profound. Love the windshield wipers. Notice the word shield in that too. I also loved our lesson today. I can't get over what her endured. Especially after the tar and feathering incident.

Hitch up your wagon and walk and walk and walk and walk......and walk.

Nancy said...

I responded to the "you only have to go 15 miles in a day" too. There are times that the distance just seems so far, but if we just look at it for what we have to do and what we can accomplish for in that day, then it is much less overwhelming.

nikkicrumpet said...

Nice posts...I love the first story...Dang...ya gotta wonder how God has so much patience with us. Don't ya think he just wishes for one day without so much rain!

tiki_lady said...

i loved these. my daughter had made a comment about rain as well, earlier this week. we have been in a drought situation for over two years and it had been raining really hard and for almost 2 days straight. I had told her I never lament over the rain because we need it so desperately but it would be horrible if it were your wedding day. Because you don't plan on it for pictures or makeup, hair etc. and people just are more happier and so quick to rush out of the rain. She told me she would not mind if it rained on her wedding day, the pictures could be different and pretty playing with the reflections off of the surfaces and maybe capturing their faces in the raindrops on surfaces. I kept on but what about your hair? she responded, we could have big beautiful white umbrellas and then she opened my eyes by remembering the primary song, I like to look for rainbows and she said that when you enter the temple you are so clean and the rain would be a symbol from HF that the earth is clean again.
so, ok baby girl. I hope it rains on your big day if she wants it to.

Pedaling said...

love both of those thoughts and i will remember, on bad days, to hitch up my wagon!

great comment.

Scrappy Girl said...

Love the wisdom coming from a little one! That will probably come to my mind next time I turn the wipers on.

Wonder Woman said...

These are great. I have a feeling I'll be looking at my wipers in a new light.

Bren's Life said...

I love both of these stories. How profound! Little kids are just amazing!
Glad you had a good day! I love the picture of that drive. It's so pretty. That'd be a nice entrance to your home - huh!

Pedaling said...

i'm back, just letting you know, i'm trying to buy your friendship with a little bff award.
enjoy!

Cynthia said...

Beautiful! I taught that same lesson today in RS. I hope I did half as good a job as your teacher obviously did. Thanks for sharing.

chelle said...

I am so using this one! Hitch up your wagon! That is how I am feeling tonight. I think it has been a 125 mile day and now I get to rest for a few hours before we start all over again. m

Wonder Woman said...

I've just been asked to help educate CA voters about prop. 8. Are you doing something similar?

Anonymous said...

awesome Sabbath day post! your 6year old is so smart!!!

and our whole relief society cried through the whole lesson yesterday!!!! it was good.

i love your Hitch up your wagon & walk & walk & walk!

Jodi said...

There's an award for you on my blog!

Becky said...

Thanks for this today! I'm feeling all pouty and whiny cuz I didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked. But I've got 6 more hours to make that 15 miles and by golly, I'm gonna do it!

Robin Beck said...

Love Aspen's God given Wisdom!
I just wrote Jan telling her how when I finally let my tears (much like rain) break out of me, how it was the best thing I did. It was like a cleansing from the Holy Spirit that I needed to make me stronger.
Thank you for your prayers-I do feel them and so appreciate them-I can't even begin to tell you how much.
God Bless You and Yours,
Robin~♥

Redhoodoos said...

Love the analogy. Children are so wise, aren't they? Thanks for the inspiring post - I'm reading it this morning before I head off to work and it will set the tone for the day.

Kaylynn said...

Nice thought! Thank you.

Kaylynn

Anonymous said...

What insight! Loved both of these thoughts!!

Anonymous said...

p.s. i love that your daughter's name is ASPEN!

that is beautiful!

Elisa said...

I love that rain analogy! I will have to use it with my young women!

I haven't been in Relief Society in over 2 years... but YW's is pretty dang sweet!