They did not doubt

When C was five, he broke his leg*. He layed on the couch for three days saying that it hurt and that he couldn't walk on it. Knowing how a VERY close relative of his acts when in pain, I told him to suck it up and to try to walk it off. After all, he told us that he just fell off a basketball. How bad could it be? We had no insurance at the time, so we weren't anxious to take him to the E.R.

Well, after those three days, a friend of ours that was in Medical School, sneaked him in and casted his leg for us after finding out that he had indeed broken his leg. We were grateful.

In sixth or seventh grade, C tripped while playing basketball and broke his arm. He missed out on half of the basketball season.

Last year was one of the most trying years of his life when he fractured his knee during lacrosse tryouts. He was devastated. He had worked SO hard and had endured SO much, ready to have the best season of his life.

This year has been a good year. He ran cross country to get in shape for the lacrosse season. It was a good experience running with that crowd. It's a different one than lacrosse. He was anxious to play and have a better year than last.

He was chosen to be team captain this year and was really enjoying this season. This afternoon, I took him to the Dr. after having a hurt wrist for over three weeks. I cried as I heard the Dr. tell him that his wrist was broken and that he'd have a cast on for five weeks. I got up from my chair and I went and sat next to him on the table and put my arm around him. All I could say was, "C, I'm sorry."

My son has grown up this year. It won't get the best of him this time. As I look back and see how things have played out this year, I can see that Heavenly Father has had a hand in preparing him for this. This will be a wonderful teaching opportunity for which I am grateful.

This evening I ran to Deseret Book just before it closed. I had a coupon that NEEDED to be used. I was determined to find something that I could use it on. As I walked around the store looking at the different art pieces I saw a gorgeous picture that I had never seen before. It was of a young mother with her two stripling warrior sons. The piece is called, "They Did Not Doubt". With just a few minutes before closing, I told the man that I wanted that one, up there!

As a mother of five sons and having just read the story about the 2000 Stripling Warriors, I had to have it. I love that story. I love being a mother. I love my sons.

My sons may not go to war, but they see and hear things everyday. They face challenges and have trials. They have disappointments, and get bullied. They stand up for what they believe. They are examples. They are learning to be steadfast and immovable. They have faith. I am teaching them.

Even though there were disappointments today, and the three little kids were nightmares at the Dr.'s office for those two and a half hours (that's an entirely different story!), I'm grateful to be a mother. I'm grateful for opportunities to teach my children about having faith in the Lord. Because not only will I be able to teach my children not to doubt, I can practice the very thing my own mother taught me.

Alma 56:47
...Yeah, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

Thank you mom. I love you.

*Just in the last two years, C admitted that he jumped off the bunk bed and landed on a ball. That would have made a little more sense that his leg hurt so badly. We wouldn't have made him lay on the couch for three days. lol