Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Light, and the Giving of It



Some testimonies are particularly memorable, and last Fast Sunday a friend of mine shared a story that touched me. She has a large family, full of young children, and she decided to take them to the Visitor's Center at the LDS Oakland Temple so they could look at the beautiful pictures, movies and exhibits. Her idea was to boost their testimonies and prepare them for the day when they could attend the temple themselves.



When, towards the end of their excursion, they stopped in front of the Christus statue, one of her youngest daughters seemed especially taken with it. After a few reverent moments, the child looked at her mother and said, "Mommy, I miss Jesus." As you can imagine, this moved my friend deeply. In fact, she got tears in her eyes, because hearing her daughter voice this feeling made her realize that she misses Jesus, too. 



Our children teach us in the most simple but profound ways. No wonder the Spanish translation for "giving birth" is "dar a luz" (to give the light). I love this expression, because these little ones so consistently give that light back to us.

"Step by step, we come to thee. Thy light is a beacon for all to see." 
©2004 Susan Noyes Anderson, His Children

8 comments:

karen said...

What a sweet story! And I love that translation: dar la luz. I'm going to remember that.

Unknown said...

OOOh, I love the spanish version of giving birth. That could be why giving birth is one of the most spiritual moments in a Mom's life. As that tiny spirit comes into the world you can see the light of Christ all around.

jen said...

Out of the mouth of babes. This is what I needed to hear. I think that's what I've been missing lately, too.

Lisalulu said...

A great moment for a mom, and for us all to ponder.

Fiauna said...

You gave me the chills. I love the story. Thank you for sharing!

Em said...

i love this sue, thanks so much!

Carol said...

Inspirational! I think we all feel homesick for our heavenly home. Thanks for sharing this touching post with us!

Lisa Loo said...

Made me go and look through that lovely book of yours again--"His Children"---