Pages

Stories of Jesus

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

I have found that stories are an excellent way to connect with my children. They drink them in. Especially if they are told orally. While eating lunch I asked sam, "Sam do you know what the most powerful thing is in the whole world? The strongest thing in the whole world?" He thought about it and said "what?"... "LOVE...love is the strongest and most powerful thing in the whole world. And do you know who has all the Love power?" "JESUS!" Sam yelled. "And do you want to know the BEST Love story in the whole world?" "YEAH!" He was captivated and wide eyed.

"Well there was a group of people in heaven...GODS. And there was a problem because one of the gods rebelled and started a fight. This rebellious god started doing things that would hurt all the Gods children. So the good Gods, they had to come up with a plan. And they needed someone who had enough LOVE. Someone who had so much love that they could win the fight and save the children of the Gods. The fight was really REALLY big. JESUS was chosen because he had enough love to overcome the rebellious God and help all the children be saved from the terrible evil. So Jesus was born down to earth. He came down and was a sweet little BABY! He was so precious and his mommy was named MARY." (at which point Sam exclaimed to me that Mary was his mommy in heaven and his mommy on earth because he KNEW it He knew that Mary was both of his mommies.) "He was a baby and drank milkies and grew bigger and bigger. He was a kid..like you! Jesus once was three years old! And as he got bigger he remembered more and more that he was the man who had SO MUCH LOVE that he was going to win the fight. He remembered that he was the CREATOR, that he created the earth. He remembered that he was the DELIVERER, that he was going to deliver all the people from the evil, rebellious god, He remembered that he was KING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH." I then proceeded to tell him about the life of Jesus and how in the Garden of Gethsemane he began fighting. And that he overcame all the darkness and sadness and anger and pain with LOVE POWER. That LOVE IS STRONGER than fear, stronger than pain, stronger than meanness, stronger that evil. LOVE WINS. Sam was beaming. This was the best story. Somehow I was telling it in the perfect way for him to connect with it. Sam then said "MOM Jesus is THE CONNECTOR! He connects all of us back to LOVE! When we have sadness he helps connects us back to LOVE so we can win!" YES SAM!!!! YEEESSSS! That is it. I was blown away and in awe at how perfectly his THREE YEAR OLD little self had made this connection. I mean COME ON! WOW! I then told of how Jesus was hung on the cross and what that meant. And how his friends were really worried. There was a hush and sadness that I think was probably felt throughout the angels and the heavens as well. "was it going to work? He is dead? Everything will fail if this doesn't work, whats happening?" And the rebellious god and all the darkness got really big. They thought they were winning. BUT GUESS WHAT! Three days later JESUS CAME BACK TO LIFE AND OVERCAME ALL THE DARKENSS! HE WON! LOVE WON! HE SQUASHED THE DARKNESS DOWN WITH HIS LIGHT (using Sams words)" And then I told of the ascension into heaven and the resurrection and what that means. And Sam said, " I am so happy that Jesus is the connector mom! That means I can have love mom! When I am sad or angry Jesus will help me have love, and love has all the power!
Telling this story was amazing. We talked about how sam then came to earth years and years and years later as a baby. He drank milk and grew and grew and is three years old. And as he keeps growing he is going to keep remembering what he is going to do on this earth. Because Jesus has special things for Sam to do that are all about LOVE and helping people find "the connector" so they can have love too. I was just in awe at what had just happened. SO much connection and understanding. He is 3 YEARS OLD and was learning so much. It was like his soul was on fire and for twenty minutes he just got it all, he knew it all. It was all so familiar and fresh and clear. I am going to keep finding ways to tell this story, because it is the greatest story, the best love story, and there is power in breaking from the cultural way we tell the story and start telling it in the language of our kids. I will never forget this moment, this connection and this space that was created on a typical day eating noodles and broccoli. 

The Birthday Chain

I have had the intention for a while now to connect daily and often with my children. The real connection where suddenly this beautiful space is created where we both feel our real essences shine through. Where love is permeated through the room and our hearts. Connection.

Sams birthday is coming up. Recently he has been more whiney with wanting to go buy new toys, especially a robot toy. Somehow this idea came into my mind to make a count down chain to count down to his birth soon approaching in two months. He was elated and that on his birthday he would receive a special gift, a new toy. We went down to the basement and he picked out some of my decorative paper. Blue with read, purple and green designs. He watched me excitedly as I cut each strip. I counted how many strips I had after cutting the only sheet and to my surprise it was exactly how many days till his birthday. We stapled them together and hung the birthday chain above our back door. The awe was tangible. He looked me sincerely in the eye with a hand on my shoulder and said "mom, how did you know I would love a birthday chain? Thank you so much. This is what I love!" Hearing those words was priceless. And then it got even more amazing. After we cut off the first chain I told him of how I knew I was going to have a little boy named SAMUEL because when I was in the temple Jesus told me so. My sons name would be SAMUEL. And then later I was on the back lawn of the temple when I was surrounded by angels and they all whispered to me that I was going to have a son named SAMUEL. I told Sam this and that Jesus helped Sam get ready to come to this earth. Amazing right? He soaked it in. This was HIS STORY. His eyes welled up with sobbing tears of joy and there was such CONNECTION in the room, in our hearts and with heaven, the way things really are. It was like something suddenly clicked in his soul that said "yes! it is good to be on earth! This is right where I am suppose to be, and I am supported and loved!" So with this connection, and story and emotion Sam said to be with such sincerity and urgency..."Mom! I am going to say a prayer to God to tell him I am so glad I am on earth! I am so glad I CHOSE to come to earth Mom. It was my choice! I chose to come to earth and I am so glad to be here with you!" After this amazing remark coming from my vocab smart three year old, with out skipping a beat he walked over to the other side of the rug, knelt down facing the birthday chain with his darling hands placed on his thighs and began to offer the sweetest prayer with tearful sobs of joy(literally). "Heavenly Father, Thank you for helping me come to earth. I am so happy I chose to come. I am so happy I am on earth. I am so happy I am with my mom. Amen." 
I was stunned. My whole being was SO connected to him in this moment. He felt something. And it was big and beautiful and deep. The space in our little room was so, so I don't even have words. After he said the prayer he stood up ran over to me wrapped his three year old arms around my neck smiled in my eyes. He then hugged me so deeply and intently. IT WAS PURE JOY. We now have the tradition that every day I tell him a little tid bit of HIS STORY, how he came to earth, his womb experience, his birth. It is magical. Each day has been like a light that flickers on. He wants to know. He loves it, and I love it. There is a feeling of BELONGING and REMEMBERING that is happening. I am grateful beyond measure that this tradition has begun and that Sams little heart has been so deeply opened and inspired.

Honor the Present Moment

I find that when I am not actively journaling my happenings with my children and within my personal life that I begin to feel like I am losing something very special and grand. Like I am missing out. Sometimes I even feel a touch of panic. I realized when something is heard and HONORED that it peacefully rests. My memories are the same. They want to be heard and honored so that I can move on to the next present moment, with out the fear that those precious experiences have expired forever. So this is one of MY NEW GOALS/INTENTIONS:

     -To HONOR THE PRESENT MOMENT, by hearing it, seeing it, feeling it, valuing it, embracing it, and      letting it go. (And I can let it go more easily when I am journaling....)

    -To JOURNAL about the present moments that most heavily impact, strengthen, transform and enliven my present moments on this earth. (because these present moments are most valuable in my soul evolution on this earth.)

**I am easily finding myself honoring the present moment...seeing it, hearing it, feeling it. **
**I am easily finding myself journaling about those present moments that are most valuable and transformative to me and my path.**