"Mommy, I need you."

“Mommy I need you,” this is a phrase I have heard over and over this past week. My two year old Paislee has not been feeling well and has needed more attention than usual.  There were countless times this last week where she just wanted to be held or rocked. This was challenging at times because my 6 month old Kinlee was also sick and needed extra care and attention.  Each time Paislee came up to me and told me “I need you” I did my best to try and take care of her.  As I sat there holding her and rocking her many thoughts came into my mind.  We all have different times in our lives where we “need” and depend on others.  I thought of the lady who I visit teach who  just had surgery and needed a blessing, and the Mother who was with her sick baby in the hospital and needed help for her family at home.  

One thing that I find very interesting is how easy it is to ask for help for others but not for ourselves. Because we all think that we have to be “Superman” and do everything ourselves we often don’t reach out to others when we need help, or if we do we wait until the last possible minute when we finally come to the realization that we can’t do it on our own.  A few weeks ago I took part in a relief society lesson where we discussed this very thing as it pertained to our Heavenly Father.  Often times we think that something may be too small or simple to talk to him about when the truth is he wants to hear from us.  President  Dieter F. Uchtdorf said “God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him.”  So, if we matter so much to him why is it that we are so hesitant to call upon him when we need help?

This weekend I had the opportunity to spend the weekend with my brother David . We were discussing this very thing when he told me the following story;  

“Last week I was working in a room above our garage.   My wife and I are expecting our fourth child, so we decided to make the space above our garage into a bedroom.  For whatever reason, when I work, my tools just “disappear”.  I will set a tool down and when I go back to get it a second later it is gone.   I don’t know why, but it seems I spend a lot of time looking for tools.  I am sure that everyone has experienced the intense frustration that comes with looking for something that should be very easy to find (think of the people that look all over for their glasses and eventually find that they are wearing them). 

I was hanging sheetrock, and somehow I lost my sheetrock knife.  I looked everywhere for that knife.  My progress on the room was halted, and I was frustrated.  As I continued to circle the room, looking everywhere my frustration turned to anger and eventually my anger turned to rage.  I must have spent at least 20 minutes looking for that knife.  It had literally “disappeared”. 

I found myself ready to give up.  Then it occurred to me.  I have prayed numerous times to find things that are lost and I have never been let down.  I bowed my head and said a prayer.  When I opened my eyes I saw a tool belt that I had been wearing earlier.  I immediately remembered putting the knife in the pouch and found it right away. 

I felt ridiculous.  I had invested so much time and energy (I was really mad) in a fruitless search when all I had to do was ask my Heavenly Father for help.”

We continued our discussion and talked about how kids never hesitate to ask for even the smallest things, and they trust that their requests will be answered.  We can all learn from the example that they set for us.  Our Heavenly Father wants us to ask.  He wants to answer, but we have to ask.  I am reminded of the picture by Warner Sallma titled “ Christ at Heart’s Door”, in this picture if you look closely you will find there is no door knob.  This indicates that we must take it upon ourselves to open the door and let him in, or in other words we must reach out to him when we “need” him.  Just as my 2 year old knows I will be there whenever she needs me I know that Heavenly Father is there for each of us in our time of need.  All we have to do is ask and he will always be there willing to help us.

Candice Bond