HELP ME WALK
Like
most parents, I’ve had many days at Church where I sat and wondered to myself
“why do I even bother coming?” Between kids fussing during meetings or being so
bad that you end up sitting out in the foyer with the other parents of noisy children,
I often thought I was getting nothing out of Sacrament Meeting. Each week my wife and I would pack up the
kids and get them to church, only to spend the next 70 minutes pulling out
books, or snacks, or holding kids to keep them from running and bothering other
members as well. I always hold our
youngest son on my lap so I can better control him. There are weeks where I couldn’t even tell
you WHO spoke, let alone what they spoke on. I was sure that if I wasn’t
getting anything from the meeting then what could our children be getting. But,
we kept up the routine.
Then one day I
was holding my son as usual. My wife had already made the trip to the foyer
with our two year-old daughter so I was left in the chapel with our two boys (8
and 4). It was Fast Sunday and I was
wondering how long it would be before I joined my wife. Tanner seemed so
squirmy that day. Then it happened.
Tanner said “I want to go up.” I was sure he didn’t mean go up to the podium at
say something, as that would be very out of character for him, and besides,
what could my little 4 year-old possible have to say. However, if he really DID want to go up and
say something then who was I to stop him.
I made sure that that’s what he had meant and then put him down. It was
then that my little son taught me a lesson that I will never forget. He put out
his hand and said simply, “You have to help me walk.”
How many times
have we in our lives sat there and thought about going up to bare our
testimonies but fear keeps us rooted to our seats? This little one knew what he wanted to do but
his fear didn’t stop him from doing it.
All he needed was his father to help him walk up there. I took his hand and together we walked up to
the stand. He stood and just said a
couple of lines, that I realized later, were his talk from an upcoming primary
program and then came back to me. I got up and bore my testimony, but what I
said wasn’t as important as what I’d just learned. We walked back to our seat
hand in hand. As I lifted him onto my lap, a myriad of thoughts and emotions
flooded over me. I thought of the many times that I’ve been afraid to do or try
something or just needed help with something in my life and it was brought home
that I too have a father just waiting for me to simply put out my hand and say
“You have to help me walk.” Tears filled
my eyes as I realized that my son had just taught me a valuable lesson in
faith. I kissed his forehead and I felt
his little body quiver like he often does when he’s excited. Suddenly I knew
exactly why we bother coming.
