Incredible Tender Mercies!

So ever since efy and even during efy I have felt kind of empty inside. For whatever reason I have not been getting much out of my scripture reading and my prayers have been pretty lackluster. I haven't attended the temple much either. But this week I decided I needed to really make a change. Monday I went to the church history museum and so many things there pricked my heart. Tuesday I went to the temple and tonight I went to institute. Even at the beginning of institute tonight I still had that empty feeling but my institute teacher said something that made all that change. He said that we have to make sure we schedule in the time for spiritual things because with all the things we have to do everyday it will get lost in the shuffle. This seems so simple but it really made me think back to when I took a scripture study class and we had to study our scriptures for 30 minutes a day, free of distractions and write things down. I felt like I really knew the Savior during that time. I want so desperately to do that again. But in my carnal stupid mind I find so many dumb things to put in the place of that and end up trying to squish scripture study in at the end of the day. So here's to trying to change that!!

The other thing that was amazing to me tonight was that I truly figured out what it means to be like a child. It didn't have anything to do with the lesson tonight, but amidst all my mind tangents I realized this incredible thing! At school with my preschoolers there are times throughout the day where they don't think they can do something or are afraid and need reassurance. This happens over and over again and I have to remind them that they need to trust me and that everything will be ok and they will see their parents soon. And it dawned on me tonight. The way they feel is just how I feel towards my Heavenly Father. So many times I am terrified that I won't be able to do what I need to do or I just feel like no one cares to see how I'm feeling or that I am so miserably alone. I feel like I am running to the Lord to comfort me over and over again and I know that he will comfort me, BUT here is where I often go wrong. I forget to trust that Heavenly Father knows all things and knows us so personally that whatever we tell him He already knows. Its that trust that allows Him into our lifes. Those little children that I teach taught me something invaluable. We have to trust in our Heavenly Father and know that HE WILL NOT FAIL US, no matter how many times we think we have failed ourselves!