There are some moments in life that one doesn't forget - moments that have a hand in shaping ideas and principles and maybe even entire lives. I think Sacrament Meeting today might have been one of those times.
I knew it would be a great one - Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy was speaking, visiting because his nephew had just returned home from his mission to Albania. I had been looking forward to hearing him all week. It's not often that we get the blessing of hearing from a General Authority in our own church building. Though his talk was truly inspired and amazing, it was actually a different talk that hit me the hardest.
Brother Davis, the High Councilman assigned to our ward this month, spoke first. I hadn't ever seen Brother Davis before today. He is an older man, with a warm, grandfatherly way about him. I liked him the instant he started to speak. I will probably not do his talk justice and may get a few of the details wrong, but I hope to effectively convey the spirit of his message.
He spoke of a high countertop in his home. 'It is my duty as a grandfather,' he said, 'to get my grandchildren to jump from that counter into my arms.' I knew I liked him! I remember my own dad and grandfather doing the same thing. 'One, two, three!' And I would jump from whatever perch they had placed me on, right into their waiting arms. Brother Davis relayed to the congregation the familiar steps that lead up to such an act of trust. First, his grandchildren would hang onto his neck tightly, little feet firmly on the countertop, afraid that they may fall if he moved away. After some coaxing, he would move just a step away from the countertop. Still, the little one would not let go. Instead, still holding on, but now leaning forward, the child would take a little jump away from the counter and onto grandpa. With encouragement and reassurance from other family members in the room, the grandchild would let go of his grandfather, allowing him to step back out of reach and standing on his own. 'One, two, three!', everyone would yell. Finally, in one giant leap, a bond of trust was forged. That child just knew that grandpa would always be there to catch him.
Brother Davis compared this process to the building of our testimonies. When we are young, we hold on to the testimonies of our parents and teachers. We haven't yet learned and grown enough to have a testimony of our own. As we mature in the gospel and gain life experience, we start to only lean - rather than hold on - to the testimonies around us, all the while being encouraged and reassured by those for whom a testimony has been firmly planted in their hearts. Finally, there comes a time when we know that we can finally allow ourselves to take that giant leap of faith. When we know that our relationship with God is strong enough. When we can finally jump, knowing beyond any doubt that He will be there to catch us.
I found this analogy to be incredibly powerful and accurate. Perhaps it is because of my calling as Primary President, and surely because of my calling as a mother, that I was so touched by Brother Davis' message. I know that there are many children with whom I interact on a regular basis that are still in the 'holding on' phase of their lives, looking to me for support. There are also many in the 'leaning' phase. In my humble opinion, this stage is the most precarious of them all. It is at this point that true trust is being built. One wrong step can cause a child who is teetering on the edge of that proverbial countertop to lose their balance and, as a result, their trust.
This thought weighs heavily on my mind. I have been given the task of helping these little 'hangers on' and 'leaners' become jumpers. In order to complete this important calling, I must be sure that I have built a sufficiently strong testimony. I bear witness that I do know, with every part of my being, that He is there to catch me. He has always been there, even when I didn't feel brave enough to jump. He waited for me, and He will wait for you, too.
