By Jan Mayer, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As a “Mormon woman,” Jan is a graduate of BYU and mother of five children. She has written for numerous publications, including The Denver Post, The Villager and NorthStar.
It must have been strange to see me–a 10- year old girl– kneeling on a lawn next to a busy street. It was on the long walk home from school that I wondered if I could talk to Heavenly Father at any time, like my Sunday School Teacher said. Although I had prayed many times at home and at meetings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it had never felt this personal before.
On that day, I told Heavenly Father that I was embarrassed to kneel out in the open, that I wasn’t sure what to say. Then, seeking for some purpose, I prayed to get home safely…feeling dumb because of course, I would get home safely…it was only a few blocks and I’d been safe every other day.
A simple child’s prayer—yet the impact has endured through my life. At that moment, I didn’t comprehend what I had learned, but from that day forward, I knew Heavenly Father would listen and that I mattered to Him–no matter where I was or what I was doing. I understood that I didn’t have to kneel down in a public place to have a prayer in my heart. Since then, I have had an ongoing conversation with Heavenly Father.
Armed with that knowledge, I have never felt abandoned in the battles of life, no matter how bitter. To have a constant prayer in my heart and mind has helped me maintain a happier attitude and sense of peace.
Although there have been times I’ve forgotten or withdrawn, I have always gone back to what I know. Realizing you are understood by Him–when no one else “gets” you–makes the intolerable tolerable. And when things just seem too hard, His love wraps you in warmth and comfort that can not be found any other way.
Related scriptures:
Psalms 17:6-7
Phillippians 4:6-7
2 Nephi 32:9
