Recharging Our Batteries

I loved a story that was shared by our former stake president on Mother's Day. As I've mentioned before, he spoke specifically to younger mothers still in the throes of it all, and gave us some amazing encouragement. I was reminded of this story tonight and wanted to share it with you.

One of the things President Nelson talked about was that mothers need to make sure they get some scripture study time every day. He told us that his wife, the mother of nine children, had a difficult time finding adequate time to study the scriptures every day, but she made a valiant effort. She found that she could usually get a little quiet time right after breakfast, and so that became her scripture time. One day she was reading a chapter in one of the Four Gospels in the New Testament; the story of how the mothers brought their children to see the Savior, and the Apostles told them He was too busy to see them. However, the Savior said, "Suffer the children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." He reminded them that we all need to become as little children, or we cannot hope to join Him in heaven someday. The house was quiet, as Bernadelle's children were outside in the backyard. All she could hear was faint, sparkling, joyous laughter, which enhanced her study of this particular chapter. Feeling refreshed and spiritually fed, she stepped from her bedroom to check on her children. Entering the backyard, she discovered the source of their laughter: she and her husband had recently purchased several large boxes of tomatoes so they could bottle them, and her precious children were throwing them all at each other!

She was very upset by the incident, but she later told her husband that she was able to handle the situation with calm and wisdom that she knew she would not have had otherwise if she had not studied her scriptures. She testified of the power that the scriptures can give to parents, and to all of us, as we prayerfully study and ponder them. I also testify of their power. The scriptures contain great teachings that apply in every situation we will ever encounter, but there is also an unseen power that enters our lives as we continue to feast from the scriptures daily. Maybe some days we don't get as much out of our study as other days, but by keeping the commands of the Lord to study the scriptures, and trying as best we can to listen to the Spirit as we do so, we will be given power beyond our own to handle life's challenges, big and small.