Our new Relief Society president in her lesson on Sunday said that we may not always know when we are being prompted by the Holy Ghost. I suppose that may be true. I do know that with practice it becomes easier to know when you are being prompted. I've learned to discern when I am being prompted, mostly through having been prompted and not following the direction given. Then having to clean up or otherwise rectify a situation that wouldn't have happened if I had listened. Almost always after I am reminded that I was told, but not in a na-na-na-na-na told you so kind of way, more like: I'm so sorry this happened honey; I tried to protect you!
And then I promise for the umpteenth time that I will listen better next time. It's hard though, because even though I recognize it as a prompting I am often a willful little stinker. What I am being asked to do is often inconvienient, and not what I had planned, so I don't want to! So often I get promptings when I am running about, trying to get things together or put away in preparation for the next thing or leaving.
So, now for the latest. Don't worry, this is a good story. I listened this time.
Spring/summer is finally here. So it is pollen season! Yay. not.
Michael and I are both fighting the itchy, runny eyes & noses. We like to use the eye drops and nasal mist. They work well, without us getting drowsy. On Monday we'd had a particularly rough day, and had both been coughing the night before. This was a new one for me and him, and I wondered what we could do to prevent a repeat that night. I pulled out the bottle of regular antihistamines. The kind that DO make you drowsy. I hesitated. I don't like being drowsy, and I had so much to do tomorrow! I began to put them back without taking one, but then the spirit whispered to me that I should take one, and if I did I would be able to get enough rest, and everything would be ok. "I won't fall asleep when I drive?" I questioned. I could almost feel a tinge of laughter when I was reminded that he'd already said everything would be ok. I was promised I wouldn't feel tired when I drove. So that fear aside I called Michael in and we each took an antihistamine.
So on Tuesday it was evident we both slept better for it too. So I figured that was why I was told to take it, right? Good enough for me. I was glad I had listened, and thanked Heavenly Father for His guidance.
I trundled the kids off to the library that afternoon after Charlie's nap. Nathaniel fell asleep on the way, so I had to wake him to go in. Needless to say, he was not the most cooperative little guy. He pulled his "I'm not happy with you, so I'm going to run away" trick far too many times. But I told him only one book, then I had agreed to two. So when he ran away when I said no to the third, I took back the second as well.
And then I was stupid enough to continue on to Target! I wanted to get a shower curtain for Michael's recently finished shower. He was SO excited to start using his own bathroom! Nathaniel made a bee-line for the candy right as we walked in the door. He grabbed his favorite chewy jolly ranchers and refused to let me take them to put in the cart. So I put him in the cart with them. He then began surreptciously eating them. (I don't know if that was before or after the free cookie from the bakery) By the time I found out half the box was gone. And then he didn't want those, he wanted a new candy bar! No.
So we took our stuff and went to check out. As we neared the checkout Nathaniel spied a 4-pack box of muffins, and asked if we could have them. I knew he was hungry so I told him no muffins today, but I will take you home and get you dinner right away. I started loading our stuff onto the belt and then heard gasps and some stifled giggles behind me. Nathaniel had opened a box of muffins and taken a huge bite. The giggles had been from the other female shoppers. "I guess we're getting muffins after all," I said with a bit of exasperation. I glanced at the box before I set it with the other items to be purchased. "Cranberry orange" I saw. "Ok," I thought, "at least it is a flavor I like. I wonder if the other kids will eat any of them?"
When we got out to the car I gave Nathaniel the rest of his pre-bitten muffin. Then I grabbed one too and took a bite.
It tasted funny. I looked again at the label. Cranberry orange WALNUT muffins.
CRAP.
I'm allergic to nuts. I could feel an edge of panic and dismay rising up in me. What should I do now? Could I hurry home fast enough to get some medicine, or would that be too late? Should I go back in and buy some so I can take one right away? I cringed. I dreaded the idea of going back into the store with the kids now - they'd all just been buckled in and opened their promised treats for being good. What was I going to do??
And then I got a wonderful feeling of peace wash over me. "You took an antihistamine last night," the spirit reminded me. And suddenly I could see that THIS was the reason I had done so! With the antihistamine already in my system the nuts would not have a chance to make me sick. I was so relieved, and so very grateful I had listened.
Then today, not so much.
I had lain down with the baby to get him to go to sleep. It worked. On both of us. Nathaniel sought me out, and asked me to make him some chocolate milk. The spirit warned me that I should get up and get it for him NOW, but I balked. I was still tired, and would get up in a minute. I told Nathaniel I would come in the kitchen in a moment. And then I fell back asleep. (I didn't mean to!) When I woke a little later and came into the kitchen there was chocolate powder everywhere.
So, I'm not so good at listening yet. I guess that's not true. I hear, but I don't obey well enough yet. Perhaps that is what I should be promising more of: obedience.
