You're Not Alone

My Patriarchal Blessing says that I will never be closer to God then in the rearing of my children. I did not feel that it was so. I was so tired, so busy, so overwhelmed with earthly concerns to feel close to the Lord.

Then one day I had an experience.
It was late afternoon-- the absolute worst time of the day.
I was exhausted, trying to get dinner, the TV blaring, telephone ringing, eight kids yelling, making messes, hanging on me, demanding things. I was at my wit's end. I thought to myself, "I can't do this any more. I just cannot do this by myself."

I can't explain it, but in that moment I was given to know that I was not alone, that I had never been alone, that help was near all the days and years I was raising my children.
I may not have felt close to the Lord, but He was close to me.

I've wondered many times how often our lives are watched over, guided, and protected when we're not aware of it.
Have you ever felt like you shouldn't go through an intersection even though the light was green, and then an unseen car comes whizzing in front of you?
So many times I've thought it propitious that I was at a certain place, or ran into a certain person, or heard a particular idea.
How often is the Lord or one of his angels nearby?

People have different ideas about this.
Some think God threw us into the pool and left us to learn to swim on our own.
Others think we have a guardian angel by our side at all times.

I don't know which it is; I guess I think it's somewhere in between.
But when He has helped me in something as mundane as knowing in my poverty whether I needed one can of tuna or two, I lean towards believing He's nearer than we know.

The Lord has promised:
I am with you always.
I will never leave you alone.

I believe He meant it.