School and Life Lessons

A few days ago I took R to school with T in the stroller. We had to go up a few steps to get into the school yard and in NYC it is not unusual for people to think that going before the stroller is an advantage (usually I'm okay with that). R walked up the stairs and toward his class. After waiting 30 seconds for a turn to get up the stairs; I followed and had my eye on him the whole time until he got to his class and lined up. I stood behind him and said something like, "R, I love you."

Twenty seconds later while I was talking to a mother near the line, I looked up and R was not in the line nor in my line of sight. Parents and kids were everywhere laughing and chatting loudly. I begged-your-pardon-ed myself and the stroller out of the area around parents while trying to quell the panic screeching in my soul. I told myself, "He could not have gone far. I was there the whole time." Then T and I walked toward the steps where we came in, thinking he must have walked back. I began to cheerfully call his name (I didn't want to worry myself more or anyone around me, for that matter).

Half-way there I ran into a teacher with him next to her. Tears were running down his red cheeks. My heart melted. I could feel his sorrow and his pain.

I have R a good long hug to let him know I was there for him all the while and explained I was behind him all along and that I thought he knew. I held his hand as we walked back to the line. He stayed right next to me until he got involved in a conversation with his friend and walked into the school.

Still, I stood nearby as he walked off into the school. He turned, smiled and waved. I smiled and waved back as he disappeared into the school.

Then I thought of how the Lord looks at us. He loves us so dearly. Sometimes we walk away thinking that somehow he has left us for naught when all along he is following us and our moves closely. When we feel anguish and pain He has felt them acutely (in Gethsemane) . He never really leaves us. But there are times we feel alone. Those are the times we reach out for aid. Prayer, reaching out to a leader (like R did with the teacher), speaking to a friend, etc. The Lord is reaching out to us, calling us by name, and sometimes with outside help pulling us in for a comforting hug and loving explanation.

I know the Lord is with us all along sometimes we just need to remember and feel the peace that comes from knowing that. Sometimes we just need to put forth the effort to check in through heartfelt prayer; smile and wave by obeying and striving to obey the Lord's commandments and pondering how the Lord, in a sense, smiles and waves at us through the blessings he gives.