Shoeless Landon and the Power of Prayer

Each morning I get up at 4:50 to get ready for Seminary. In the past, throwing on a sweatsuit and dropping the boys off did not require such dedication, but now that it takes a little more time to put on a dress and the face to match. It's been very rewarding and challenging so far to meet with the youth each day and try to somehow give them a glimpse of the Spirit and inspire in them a love for the scriptures.

Sometimes it is even more challenging to arrive back home AFTER seminary and be greeted by three half-dressed children, or in Lauren's case, a fully dressed child wearing Batman pajama shorts and a stained "shark" shirt which are for some reason her favorite. Anyway, this morning Landon had only one shoe. We have a shoe rack by the door, but apparently the shoes did not make it there. So, he proceeded to wander aimlessly throughout the house looking for this shoe as I instructed Bowen to change the shirt he wore yesterday and Lauren to lose the shark shirt and the Batman pants, AGAIN.

In my head I'm praying, "Dear God, Please help me.." because I lack patience, of course. Landon dug through the pile of dirty clothes in his room for the umpteenth time and I finally said, "I think it's time for you to pray" and I continued making lunches and messing with Lauren's hair. Landon disappeared briefly and then I saw him limp around the house with his one shoe one more time. I asked him had he prayed? Yes. Well, what are you going to do? His reply - I don't know. So, I ask, would you like some suggestions? He answered - No. OH. This is where I usually offer them anyway, but today...was different. I let him be. A few minutes later he beelined for his room and proclaimed, "I found it!!" What had happened? The Spirit had prompted him to remember where he had last seen the shoe and that it had fallen behind the dresser.

A recent seminary lesson taught that Moses "calling upon God, he received strength". He of course was facing a much more dire situation than an impatient Mom and a lost shoe. But what a testimony that Heavenly Father loves us enough to answer even those smallest prayers! I asked Landon what he had learned about prayer. His answer - That when we pray the Holy Ghost will help us. The perfect seminary lesson.