February 10, 2016
As I was preparing my Sunday School lesson helps for Latter Day Village last month there was one lesson that I was really having a hard time with. Usually when I feel stuck on a lesson I move on to the next and come back to the one I’m having trouble with later, so that’s what I did. Yet, still I just could not get it to come together the way I wanted. I read and re-read the lesson on LDS.org multiple times. I would get a few of the lesson helps done and then feel stuck again. Each time I started over I felt more and more frustrated, and each time I disliked the design and lesson ideas more than the time before. After many excruciating hours I was able to finish the lesson. However, as I was getting ready to put it on the website I just had this overwhelming feeling that it wasn’t right. What was I missing? Why was I having so much trouble? Then it hit me, Prayer! I had not prayed for guidance in the preparation of this particular lesson. So I prayed! I sat right there at my computer and asked my Heavenly Father for guidance. I found my favorite LDS playlist on youtube and read over the lesson yet again. It was as if a fog had lifted. I almost felt like I was reading an entirely different lesson. The ideas flowed and I felt strongly about including lesson items I did not include the first time. I was relieved that I was able to complete my lesson helps and feel good about them but most of all I was thankful for the lesson that was taught to me. Our Father in Heaven knows us, He loves us! He is mindful of our wants and needs. He wants to help us, he wants us to ask for guidance. I don’t know whether the changes I made to my lesson plan were for my own benefit or for someone who would receive the lesson but what I do know is that prayers are answered. I think we’re all guilty of trying to do it all on our own, I know I am. But our Heavenly Father wants to helps us. We cannot reach our full potential and make it back to his presence without His help. President Thomas S. Monson said it best “Our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance. I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives.” We just need to remember to ask!
