Little by Little

Yesterday afternoon, the kids had settled into their own activities.  They were mostly being quiet, so I was checking on where everyone was and what they were doing.  Ian had gone to his room and had the door partially closed.  From the hallway I called out, "Ian!  What are you doing?"  It was really quiet for a minute and I was beginning to wonder if he'd heard me.  Then he said quietly, "I'm reading  my scriptures."  Sure enough, there he sat on his bed, with his Book of Mormon out, reading.  We talked for a few minutes, he read me the scripture he'd been reading and I showed him one that had a similar message.  It was sweet.  A few minutes later, I walked by again and saw this.

 I heard them reading together.  Moroni chapter 10, they said.

A few more minutes, and Elise joined in.

Can I tell you how much this scene warms my heart?  I feel a little like the Grinch.  Not that I was grouchy, but that I think my heart grew three sizes yesterday.  Certainly, there have been other times when one of my children have made a good decision.  There have been times where something we had been trying to teach them sunk in and we saw that they really GOT it.  Some are personal experiences to them, and ones I haven't shared on the blog.  

What really struck me yesterday, as I pondered on the sweet scene in a little boy's bedroom, was this.  I thought about how many Sundays we've gotten up and tried to have 1, 2, or 5 children sit reverently during a church meeting.  I thought about how many family home evenings we've had.  How many morning scripture study sessions we've had.  How many discussions had we had about gospel principles?  How many times had we talked about where to turn when we have a question or to seek answers in the scriptures?  

For almost 10 years, we've been teaching this little boy, who is quickly becoming a young man, about the things of God.  This moment of quiet reflection and self-motivated scripture study has been 10 years in the making.   I was struck by how much of parenting is the polar opposite of "instant gratification."   Sometimes you hear an "I love you" or get a kiss on the cheek in response to something you do or teach.  And those things are beautiful and wonderful and give you the strength and energy to keep at it.  But those bigger moments are the result of years upon years of teaching, praying, loving, encouraging, and working before you see the fruits of your labors.

I'm posting this for my future self as much as anyone.  I know there will be days ahead where I get discouraged and feel like I'm not doing everything right (or anything right), just like the days behind me where I've felt that way.   I know I'll need to remember to just hang in there.  And to remember how worth it that "payday" is.  Because really the "end result" isn't a 9 year old reading his scriptures, as beautiful as that was.  It's much, much bigger than that.  So here's to hanging on through the hard days and basking in the happiness of seeing your children choose the things of God.