I Am A Child Of God

 I am a child of God

And He has sent Me here

Has given Me an earthly home

With parents kind and dear

Lead Me, Guide Me

Walk beside Me

Help Me find the way

Teach Me all that I must do

To live with Him someday

I am a child of God

And so My needs are great

Help Me to understand his words

Before it grows too late

Lead Me, Guide Me

Walk beside Me

Help Me find the way

Teach Me all that I must do

To live with Him someday

I am a child of God

Rich blessing are in store

If I but learn to do his will

I'll live with him once more

Lead Me, Guide Me

Walk beside Me

Help Me find the way

Teach Me all that I must do

To live with Him someday

I am a child of God

His promises are sure

Celestial Glory shall be mine

If I can but endure

Lead Me, Guide Me
Walk beside Me
Help Me find the way
Teach Me all that I must do
To live with Him someday

As a kid I learned this song before I can even remember this song. It is more like it was just a song I always knew. And I think most of the time I would just sing it without really thinking of the words I was singing. As a parent, these words to this song take on more power than I ever could have imagined. Not only as it applies to me as a parent to these sweet, amazing little spirits, but also as a reminder that I am a daughter of My Heavenly Father. I know how much I love my children. My love for them is something that I cannot even begin to quantify. And I know that my Heavenly Father's ability to love is something I cannot even begin to comprehend. If I can be so in love with these little children, I cannot imagine the perfect love my Heavenly Father has for me and all of us.

And yes, the responsibility of raising these kids the right way terrifies me. It is a burden and a responsibility that I welcome with arms wide open and am grateful every waking and sleeping moment to be given. But it is also incredible overwhelming. It is our job as parents to teach these little children. To teach them all they need to know to be good, respectable, responsible, honest, virtuous people. But also to teach them the Gospel. To teach them to Trust their Savior. And to know that in and through the atonement is the only way to ever have full and everlasting joy and peace in this life and the life to come. That does not mean that living the gospel will make life perfect or easy or one happy day after the next. Life is hard. Life is full of twists and turns and challenges that we will never be able to anticipate. But with the help of the Lord, we can do anything. We can make it through things that otherwise would be so much more difficult to endure. What I know to be true is this....I have lived my life with the Gospel, and I have lived my life without it. And though there were many time while living without the gospel that I was having "fun" in life, the True and everlasting and Deepest joy that I have ever felt has been while living the Gospel. Having the Spirit with me throughout each and every day bring guidance, peace and comfort that you simply cannot and will not find anywhere else in this world. I know this to be true and pray every day that I can do what it takes to teach this to my children and have them love the gospel and the way I have learned to love the gospel. 

Tonight I attended the General Women's portion of Conference. This time Makenna was able to come with me, now that she is 8 years old. What a special time it was, to be sitting next to my daughter and my mother, learning from our leaders the things that we can do to better ourselves and better our relationship with God. Then at one point we sang this song, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Watching the screen showing women around the world singing this song. Having my arm wrapped around my daughter and hearing her small, sweet little voice singing this (almost as if she was singing it directly to me). I cried (and tried to be covert about it because Makenna already thinks I cry about anything and everything, which I do). But I was so filled with the spirit and a desire to do good, to please the Lord and to do all I can to keep the covenants I have made. To not only live the gospel the best I can myself, but to also raise my children the best I can to love and serve their Heavenly Father. This is my hope and prayer every day.