Little Life Lessons from Seraphim

There are moments in your life you hope you remember forever. Perhaps by sharing it will be written on my heart. I know they say that out of the mouth of babes....
Ps. 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

Matt. 21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
3 Ne. 26: 16 Behold, it came to pass on the morrow that the multitude gathered themselves together, and they both saw and heard these children; yea, even ababes did open their mouths and utter marvelous things; and the things which they did utter were forbidden that there should not any man write them.
Seraphim had come home very discouraged from Ryan's (her biological father) house the other night. She normally isn't one to talk about how she feels. But she was almost in tears as she spoke to me. I wondered what on earth had happened to make her feel that way. The previous Sunday without my permission he took her to some random Christian church. Ryan and I had a discussion a few weeks prior that if she wanted to go to church she should be allowed to go to church and he assured me that he would never keep her from church, and that any child of his would have religious freedom to go to church if they choose. He assured me that she would be able to go with Rachel’s (her step-mother) parents or they would take her. When she came home from church we started to talk and she knew the church he had taken her to was different, she could tell by how it felt that it was different. She said mom I asked him to take me to church, why would he trick me and take me to the wrong church. I was wondering the same thing. I felt like he was misleading her into believing he was supporting her choice to go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The church she has been raised in her whole life and the church she is going to be baptized in, in a few months. So what does this have to do with her being upset Thursday night, well that was her visitation night with her dad. She took it upon herself to stand up to her dad and tell him she wanted to go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He told her he didn't think it mattered what church she went to and that he wanted her to go to church with him. She was upset her dad didn't honor her wishes but she was upset because she has already seen the power of Satin to destroy families 1st hand, during this time of hardship and heart ache in her life she has found such light and hope at church. It has become a constant thing in her life for the last few years. It was something she could rely on, especially now when so many things in her life are changing. She feels the spirit often and we have had many wonderful conversations about her faith and how she feels about prayer. I didn't know what to say to Seraphim that would be appropriate, I don't like to say bad things about Ryan to her, I don't think he is a bad person but I certainly was disappointed he 1st deceived her about going to church, and then told her it didn't matter what church she went to. I asked her what she wanted to do about it, and she said she didn't know but that she would pray and she knew Heavenly Father would help her. I was proud to hear that from her, that at her age of 7 she believed that Heavenly Father was real and he would help her. So many people don't feel that, I hope she always feels that way. Each night before bed we read from the scriptures. That night I chose to read from Doctrine and Covenants children’s stories. We just so happen to read about the first miracle in the church. I think I had heard this story a long time ago, but not recently. Sunday April 11 1830 there was an LDS church meeting held where there were many non-members. Satan didn't want people to join the Church so he tried to make some of them feel bad. One person who felt bad at the meeting was Newel Knight. Joseph Smith asked Newel to pray at a meeting, and Newel said he would, but Satan didn't want Newel to pray. When Newel went to the meeting, he said he was afraid to pray out loud. The next morning, Newel Knight went into the woods so he could pray alone. Newel tried to pray, but again Satan didn't want him to, and he couldn't talk. He became sick and afraid, and went home. Newel's wife was worried about him and asked Joseph Smith to help. Joseph used the priesthood to bless Newel and cast Satan out. After the blessing, Newel felt better and was later baptized. After we read that, Seraphim got so excited, she said mom...mom....that happened to my dad, that’s why he won't go to church because when he does, he has bad feelings. She said she could feel the Holy Ghost telling her this was an answer to her pray about why her dad felt bad. I was so glad to hear her take scriptures and try and apply them to her life. I explained that her dad didn't always feel bad when he went to church. She then prayed again. In her prayer she told Heavenly Father that she believed that the LDS church was true and that she had a testimony of it and that she wanted her dad to support her in going to church but she didn't know what to say to him, she asked for help strengthening her testimony, and help finding the right words to say to him....It was a good end to a night of heartache. The best part about it was the spirit and scriptures did all the teachings, I didn't tell her what to do, or what to say to her dad, I just loved her, encouraged her to pray and did our regular scripture study. On the following Sunday, we were at a regional stake conference where we heard the Prophet speak. Part way though his talk, he said something like …you young ones, you can have an influence on your parents to make the right choices.....she got so excited I had almost missed the message, she said "Mom it’s an answer to my prayers I can be a good influence on my dad, I know he will listen to me and I can be an example to him" I am in awe at her faith and her courage. I know at her age I didn't have those kinds of convictions; she truly is an example and a blessing to me. I know these last few months have been so hard on her, I wish I could erase all the heart ache and pain, but I know that she has grow spiritually and, emotionally. Her prayers have become so much more than a simple child’s prayer. She knows that her Father in heaven loves her, he is there for her, and he answers prayers. I want that to stay with her forever. I knew I would grow through these trials, but I didn’t know how much she would grow. For that I am grateful.