Family Crises

     We can have lots of crises in our lives.  We can choose how we can deal with them.  One thing is for sure if we have a strong family support that helps us get through.  It is also so wonderful to have the gospel to lean on through our trials.  In like the poem Footprints in the Sand, the rough times in our lives, are when the Savior is helping us through.  My mom was really good during our trials to count her blessings.  She looked for the good in the situation.  At the end of the trial, our family really had been so blessed.  We had so many Christmas's where money was tight, yet so many blessings flowed to our family.  One year, the seminary kids decided to help out a family for Christmas and donated their "spare change." (which the teacher noticed wasn't just spare change, some where giving out $10 and $20.)  We didn't know it was for our family, but all of a sudden it was dropped on our doorstep.  My aunt and her kids set up a trampoline in our backyard without us knowing about it.  We would have people bring over piles of gifts.  Sometimes there wasn't just one gift per person but 2 (and I'm the oldest of 9, so this worked out to be a lot of gifts.)  When we received all these gifts, I told my Mom, "I know that we are poor but not this poor!"  It was hard to be the receiver of such great things.  My Mom taught me a great lesson.  She said, "Well, each person that has stopped by doesn't realize that someone else has already been here."  Someday I want to be in that position, where I can make someone's Christmas as wonderful as the ones I had growing up.
     In our text this week we read about how it is more likely for women to abuse their children.  When I had my first daughter, the hospital made us watch a movie called Don't Shake a Baby.  At first I was appalled that I had to be watching innocent kids become damaged because of their parents "abusing"them.  Well after the first couple of weeks and having a baby crying all the time, I soon realized how important this movie really was. I would never intentionally hurt my child but how easy it would be to do so if the baby is screaming and you don't know what more you can do for them.  By the way one show that I had to watch for my Child Development class changed my world when it comes to infants.  We had to watch Dr. Karp's The Happiest Baby on the Block. The Happiest Baby  Now this is a show I think that every mom needs to watch before they leave the hospital.  It makes me really sad to hear of infants and young children that get hurt and abused because of their caregivers.  This just breaks my heart.  I want to somehow advocate for them and help keep them safe.  My sister has 4 step children.  These 4 kids were severely abused by their mother growing up.  When I hear her talk about what they had to go through it just makes me sick.
     A very stressful time in my life was buying a house.  We lived in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment with 2 kids so everyday it just felt like we were suffocating with stuff.  Then our house was a "short" sale that last for 4 months.  Every day was a challenge.  One day we thought we would get the house, the next day the deal had fallen through.  Not to mention arguing with husband about the want to put in new carpet and paint.  He was very good and kept us in our budget but at the same time it was disheartening not to start fresh and do these things when there was no furniture inside.
      One more stress in our life was 1 1/2 years ago.  I was very busy with school, my calling as a Stake Relief Society Secretary, and the Stake Certification person for girls camp, and was 5 months pregnant.  My husband's grandfather was dying and as a family we rallied around him.  We decided to care for him ourselves with a 24 hour vigil so that he didn't have to be in a care center.  Not only was I very busy with all the things list above, but then because I was the "stay at home" I got called on a lot to go over there and serve him.  This was a hard time for our family.  I was gone constantly but something amazing happened.  My 3 1/2 year old got to have a bond with Grandpa, something that will probably be treasured memories for him, even though he was so small.  We got to experience the joys of serving.  Our family was so blessed during this time.  Our family was strengthened.  The Lord knows what we can handle.  He knows that through these experiences we grow and become better.  I was so thankful that I could have this opportunity to serve him the last few months of his life.