Through The Eyes Of A Child

I'd like to take a moment to share something that happened to me last Sunday. It was one of those things that no one else noticed but me. Not even the little boy that did it realized what he was doing. But the more I think about it the more I realize why I was called to be a primary teacher in church.

To be honest I was not thrilled about the calling but as I always do I accepted without hesitation. It's the first time I have ever been called to be a teacher in primary and I've been a member my whole life. Talk about feeling out of place. Thank goodness for my phone and my church primary songbook app or I'd never be able to sing those children's songs. Some I've never forgotten after all these years. Some are like learning a foreign language. It's been interesting to say the least.

During sharing time where we sing songs I was sitting there with my class doing my best to keep ten and eleven year old boys calm. Not an easy thing to do. Except for this one boy. He's pretty quiet by nature anyway so having him sit next to me was great. He was the calm among the storm. Then out of nowhere he rested his head on my arm. It kinda took my by surprise. He sat there for a few minutes then he straightened back up. A minute or two later his head was back on my arm. He stayed there until it was time for the closing prayer. It brought back a lot of memories when my kids were that age.

If I were asked right now what his name is I wouldn't be able to say. I know who he is though and I know a little about his home life. Not a very good one. His parents are divorced and he has 3 siblings and they all live with their mom. Their father is nowhere to be found. Left them all. The mother struggles raising her four children on a single parents income. I know the feeling. It's not easy.

When my wife and I divorced and I was struggling with so many things I made the decision that I would never leave my children. How could I? They are my responsibility. There is and will never be a greater responsibility than that of being a father. I'm not perfect at it by any means but when my children were ten or eleven years old they didn't need some strange mans arm to rest their heads on. They had mine. They didn't need a brother in the church to step up and be there for them. They had me. Although divorce is hard and there are many moments of doubt and fear, to this day I have a beautiful relationship with my children. They know me and I know them and we continue to grow together.

So now I look at this calling a little bit differently. I see it through the eyes of a child. The way I think my Heavenly Father wants me to look at it. I have to remember I'm not there for me. I'm there for them. I may not remember his name right now but when he turns twelve and leaves primary to join the brethren of the Priesthood I guarantee you he will remember mine.