Last weekend was General Conference for my church. I will write about that another day when I get the time to re-look over the talks to find the ones I really loved :) Today was Stake Conference for where we live, and honestly it is pretty dang hard to listen with the girlies. But, I did catch some things. And, there was one particular talk that resonated with me. The woman talking had been dealing with health issues for years and felt horrible all of the time, and it made raising her kids a daily trial. The everyday little things had become so draining and she had no idea why. What made it harder was that she knew she was supposed to have more kids---she later realized those kids would come through the foster care program and adoption. After finally being able to adopt the children that completed her family, a series of events led her to a neurologist who was able to realize there was a hole in her heart or lungs. For a long time they didn't know what to do and she felt devastated that she was dying. She asked Heavenly Father why he would make her complete her family if He was then going to take their mother away from them? She spent a lot of time stewing on that and pondering it. She said one day the answer just came to her---They are not just your kids. They are mine, too.
Our children are not just ours---they are the Almighty Creator's. We are not the only ones looking out for them and constantly trying to do what is best for them. We are not the only ones who have plans for them. We are not the only ones who want to watch them grow and develop and find happiness. We cannot forget our place in the family plan on this earth. We are here to teach our children what they need to know. Teach them about love, teach them about Christ and teach them about the saving ordinances and covenants the gospel gives to us.We complete our task when we teach them those things. We can't always have them with us, and they can't always have us with them. The only one that is with them forever and through it all is our Heavenly Father.
The woman ended up getting a heart surgery and has been feeling so so much better for the past five years. The healing is coming slowly, but surely. But, the best is that Heavenly Father decided to let her stay here as their angel mother :) The BEST news is that God was right, He is our children's father, too. So let's not forget Him in the whole process of raising them.
