Can I Get a Witness?

I've had some rough weeks lately. I don't feel like I can manage to do anything right! Sleepless and lonely nights up with a determined baby who has it in her mind that she's hungry every three hours. My clothes don't fit me. I'd like to diet and exercise, but it's hard when our play area is right next to our kitchen, and I've got three little kids to tend to. I eat sweets to keep from nodding off during the day, which makes my clothes not fit. See my vicious cycle? I need to read my scriptures, but I nod off every time I bend my head over a book. I try to take a nap during the day, but it's always interrupted by the phone or kids 'having a hard time', or wondering if they can come out of their rooms yet. I miss my friends and my familiar surroundings. I got charged $75.00 from our local library for three "damaged" books. The books cost 1/3 of that price to purchase new. I need to go over to the library to sort this out. I hate confrontation. I'm dreading it. Then there was the lovely doctor's visit. I know that the lack of sleep makes all of these things seem so much more serious, and that things will get better. They will.

The lyrics from Les Mis' Look Down ring true:

When's it gonna end?
When we gonna live?
Something's gotta happen now or something's gonna give,
It'll come.
It'll come.
It'll come.
It'll come.

Today is Friday - the end is in sight, and it's supposed to be a nice weekend - hooray!

This past week I was given a little glimmer hope. It started with our turn with preschool. The kids were awesome, and they were enchanted with every project, activity and discussion that I had. I taught them how to play the game "Hot Lava". Remember when the carpet is hot lava, so you have to hop around on items to avoid getting burned? We used to play it as kids, but all six of these kids had never heard of it in their short little lives. It reminded me of the days of teaching when I was the "young, hip teacher", and everything I did was cool.

While preschool was going on, the doorbell rang and it was the Jehovah's Witnesses. They really are lovely people. They asked me if I read the Bible, and I told them that I was LDS, and that yes, I did read the Bible and then I fall asleep. I apologized that I couldn't visit with them because I had a preschool group that I had to attend to, and then they gave me this:



All suffering soon to end! If that isn't a "sign", I don't know what is. I'll soon be sitting in flowering fields with friendly moose and produce, riding horseback and smiling. Looking forward to it.


Around lunchtime the familiar hum of the garage door started, and Josh walked through the door. "Just thought I would come home for lunch." He hasn't been able to come home for lunch since we moved here! It was heaven-sent, I tell you! So nice to have another adult around even just for an hour. He warmed up some lunch and chatted with all of us, and it was just awesome.

Following that nice visit, I listened to this link from a talk given by Elder F. Enzio Busche at a BYU devotional in 1996. Will you give it a listen?




It really impacted me. So many things that I've been struggling with were addressed with short, sweet messages of hope and truth. Although I am still tired, I no longer felt discouraged. Eventhough I still have my problems, I feel hopeful that they will be resolved, eventually.

So, thanks preschool kids! Thank you Josh! Thank you Elder Busche! Thank you Jehovah's Witnesses!