Important Life Lessons {Oct 2013}

You would think that it would be easy to explain to a 3 1/2 year old how to unlock a door. Well it's not especially when you are on the other side of the door and can't physically show them what to do... but I  think in the end, that I learned so much more from this experience than Sienna did. 

For some reason I had a strong impression to go to the temple earlier that day. So I called the temple at the last minute , got ready and left. My Mom & sister Laura kindly offered to watch Sienna and Ethan when he got home from school. I love going to the temple, and was excited to go especially since I had such a strong impression. My experience was pretty typically, but now looking back I think that going to the temple helped  me to spiritually prepare for the lesson that I was going to learn when I got home.

As I walked in the front door and started to head down stairs Laura greets me with,"Your daughter is locked in your bathroom down stairs." I wasn't too worried about it, so I calmly continued down the stairs to our bedroom. As I entered my room I saw Ethan talking to Sienna through the door and Jared trying to take the wood off around the door with a butter knife. I could hear sweet little Sienna crying, and it just broke my heart, I could tell that she was scared, and more than anything I just wanted to hold her and make everything better. I think by the time I got home Sienna had been in there for about 5 to 10 minutes. Jared was getting pretty frustrated at this point and I didn't want him to start tearing any thing a part unless we had too... so we came up with a couple different ideas and tried them, like taking a part the door handle, a credit card, and etc but nothing seemed to work. Then Jared took a picture of the door knob so that we could explain to Sienna how to unlock the door. We slid the paper under the door and tried to explain how to do it. I could hear her trying but nothing happened, even I was getting pretty frustrated at this point. I remember saying, "Sienna! Just turn the knob and you can come out!" That upset her even more, because for the life of her, she couldn't do it! I tried to comfort her by singing with Ethan and I was even able to get some of my fingers  far enough under the door so that she could hold on to them. We finally decided that we need to pray for help. After the prayer I was impressed to go to the Internet for a different approach on how to open the door. I found a YouTube video of a guy opening the door with a credit card. He made it look unbelievably easy. Jared had tried that earlier but couldn't get the card between the wood of the door and the door frame, but I still felt that I needed to give it another shot. Yeess!!! I was able to get the card between the wood at the very top of the door and then I slide it down, then I let Jared take over because I couldn't quite get it. Ta-Da!

It felt so good once we got the door open we both ran in there and gave Sienna a big hug!... but neither one of us were going to let her leave until she learned how to unlock the door. We showed her exactly what to do, then we had her try. Watching her I realized that, she was probably doing it right along but there was no way that her tiny little fingers ever would have been strongg enough to turn the door knob and that she never would have been able to unlock the door by herself.

I immediately thought of the Savior and the picture of him standing at the door and how Sienna represents us going through this life and then we make a little mistake (or sin)  and next thing you know your locked in a bathroom and can't get out. Correct me if I'm wrong but when people sin they usually do it for selfish reasons for example; lie, steal, cheat... the 3 of those usually bring instant gratification, but everybody involved always gets hurt in the end! So when we sin, we basically cut ourselves off from those around us and more importantly from God. We sometimes isolate ourselves  from others especially from those that want to help us, because of the guilt we may feel, or we don't want them to make us feel. If Sienna was locked in the bathroom and wasn't crying and asking for help, but instead  just playing  and having a good ole time, I probably would not have known nor would have felt the same urgency to help her get out. Sometimes we like being locked in the bathroom, I know I do, it is the only place I can escape from my kiddos (or the pressures of trying to be perfect all the time). But it is when we humble ourselves and have a desire to repent that we cry unto the lord for forgiveness pleading with him to help us unlock the door. That is when the Savior can come in and save the day with His credit card (the Atonement) and  then unlocks the door and frees us from our guilt and isolation.

I know I sometimes feel like Sienna, where not matter how hard I try it will never be good enough, but then I remember that I have a Savior. Who knew that none us of would ever be perfect, and so He offered up his life and suffered and atoned for my sins and is just waiting for me to repent so that I use the power of the atonement to be freed. I know... that He not only loves me but all of God's children and is just waiting for us to do our part, by repenting and then doing the best we can each day after that. I can already picture in my mind, that if I am faithful and endure to the end,  that when I see the Savior again, He will greet me with a hug like I gave to Sienna and he will wipe away my tears and me comfort. I'm so grateful for my knowledge  of the Atonement and for my personal relationship with the Savior. I have never seen him but I feel his love for me and I see him working miracles in my life everyday. I know that he is real and that he loves me!