and since there's still a little snow on the ground...
I'm serious about this one a day thing! If you've missed out the last few days...keep on reading. Miracles are everywhere - big and small. This is one from my mission president's wife (Sister Ellsworth). I've heard it several times and it makes me cry every time. And it has to do with snow. PERFECT!
This is actually an excerpt of the story that I shared with my family in an email home:
Sister Ellsworth shared a story at the fireside that I have heard her share before, but have never shared with you. It makes me cry every time! She and President are from a farm in Idaho and live up in the foothills with a lot of land, and in the winter they get tons of snow. One year when she only had about 5 of her 7 kids, they were all out playing in about 6 feet of snow. They would go out and play for hours and just wander in the foothills/mountain. Anyway, she went outside to take the trash out or something, and could hear a small cry saying, "help! help!" She looked all around but could only see snow everywhere, but heard the cry again. Finally, she could see little heads popping up above the snow crying "help!" Her children had fallen deep into the snow and were far from home and couldn't make it back. She took a few steps into the snow to go help them, and then she sunk! She felt helpless and knew there was no way to get to her children. She was able to crawl back home and call President and he said they would have to crawl home. So she went outside and started calling to her young little kids to crawl. She stood outside and called to them to help them. Hear and there she would hear, "I lost my glove! or I lost a boot!" Finally, one little child made it back and she felt so happy and gave her a big hug. Then she realized that she wasn't truly happy and could never be until every single one of her children was back home, safe inside. (Eventually the all did make it back home).
What a powerful life experience! Heavenly Father is the same way. He wants each of us back home. I want each person I meet to make it back home and to have the joy of the Gospel. It breaks my heart when people hear our message and choose to reject it. Heavenly Father must be even more sad, because he is working so much harder than I am to help each one. What a great work I get to be a part of!
This is actually an excerpt of the story that I shared with my family in an email home:
Sister Ellsworth shared a story at the fireside that I have heard her share before, but have never shared with you. It makes me cry every time! She and President are from a farm in Idaho and live up in the foothills with a lot of land, and in the winter they get tons of snow. One year when she only had about 5 of her 7 kids, they were all out playing in about 6 feet of snow. They would go out and play for hours and just wander in the foothills/mountain. Anyway, she went outside to take the trash out or something, and could hear a small cry saying, "help! help!" She looked all around but could only see snow everywhere, but heard the cry again. Finally, she could see little heads popping up above the snow crying "help!" Her children had fallen deep into the snow and were far from home and couldn't make it back. She took a few steps into the snow to go help them, and then she sunk! She felt helpless and knew there was no way to get to her children. She was able to crawl back home and call President and he said they would have to crawl home. So she went outside and started calling to her young little kids to crawl. She stood outside and called to them to help them. Hear and there she would hear, "I lost my glove! or I lost a boot!" Finally, one little child made it back and she felt so happy and gave her a big hug. Then she realized that she wasn't truly happy and could never be until every single one of her children was back home, safe inside. (Eventually the all did make it back home).
What a powerful life experience! Heavenly Father is the same way. He wants each of us back home. I want each person I meet to make it back home and to have the joy of the Gospel. It breaks my heart when people hear our message and choose to reject it. Heavenly Father must be even more sad, because he is working so much harder than I am to help each one. What a great work I get to be a part of!
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