The beautiful burden

Yesterday I took my boys along with my brother to Magic Mountain. While the big boys were gone on the big rides, little g and I spent the day together on the small rides. I enjoyed the time with just him. He needed it. I needed it.

While little g was sitting on a horse on the carousel, I was drawn to a young girl around three years of age. She too was sitting on a horse waiting for the ride to begin. Her grandfather held the pole as he stood next to her. With her eyes closed, her small hands were moved along the horses head with her grandfather's hand. She was told that she was on a horse. Their hands moved down together to the saddle where she was told that it was the saddle and then she repeated it back to her grandfather. Knowing that she was safe and next to her grandfather, her small hands felt the saddle, the mane and the face of the horse.

It was beautiful.

Clearly, she couldn't see.

I got caught up watching them together. I loved seeing this cute grandfather teach his granddaughter about the horse on the carousel. I loved seeing the smile he had on his face as he taught her. Though she would never see his smile, she could hear it in his voice. I thought about the patience he must have. The patience it must take to teach her everything through different senses other than sight. I loved watching her explore and learn. I loved seeing the trust that she had in her grandfather.

I couldn't help but cry as I stood at the carousel and watched them. It was so touching.

This past week I came across the story of Alma from the Book of Mormon. Alma and the people were going through some difficult times and the Lord told them, "I will...ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that...you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage: and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord."

I guess that's why it was so touching to see this grandfather with his blind granddaughter together. I could see that they had been strengthened and their burdens made light. And then, to see the grandfather smile, I knew that he was cheerful and patient.

That's not to say that her being blind isn't a challenge! I'm sure there are days where the girl is frustrated and those around her are tired. We all have burdens in our lives. We all go through difficult times.

As I reflect on all the times that I've been able to look back and say, "I don't know how I ever survived that". I really do know. I know that my Heavenly Father had a hand in that. I know that He has strengthened me so that I could bear those particular burdens with ease. They weren't easy to go through. They were difficult. But somehow, I did it. Somehow, I was capable of doing what I never thought possible.

I have faith in Him. I have faith in His plan.

I'll never forget what I saw yesterday. The beautiful picture of a loving grandfather teaching his blind granddaughter. The perfect example of where the "Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease". I'm sure the grandfather would say that he was just spending the day with his granddaughter. But for me, it was much more than that.