"tis the season to be jolly" even if you only have nine forks

My last post was sort of whiny, so I wanted to wait and  write when I was not feeling cold and anxous.  Hmmm...that will not happen until Spring, so I decided to write about my gratitude for my life, for things cold and dark, and for things sunny and warm. I am listening to Adam play the piano,  and I think about the reason my kids are on missions.  He  stopped in to have some dinner after working late at the Hospital, and now he is playing the piano.  It happened to be "O Holy Night", a song which has always been the epitomy of what Christmas is all about.  I feel such reverence for the Savior when I hear this song, and it never fails to bring me to tears.  Adam was always one of my kids who loved to play, and I am grateful he still enjoys it.  I am so fortunate to have about 42 kids make their way into my house weekly to have piano lessons.  It is hard at times when I am tired from a day at school, but I am so lucky to have had music in my home.  It elevates my mood and makes me so happy.
 
   I got a call from Sister Vallinga, who is Matthew's mission mom.  She related a story where they recently had a zone conference where Matthew was to play a solo on his violin for the musical number.  A visiting general authority was there, and Matthew was pretty nervous.  As he drew his bow to commence playing, an audible "PING' resounded in the room.  His G string had broken, and he looked helplessly at the men sitting on the stand.  His mission president arose, and said, "Elder Taylor, if you can continue to play, we would love to hear it, but if you cannot make it work, that is okay!"  Matthew  said a silent prayer and pulled  his bow across the violin and begin to play very gently the hymn  "Be still My Soul".  He made it through the number and everyone exclaimed that it was beautiful.  Matthew later wrote me that he had a "little" help and also that the number had very few notes played on the now-absent string.  

  I could not help but muse about the many times that I  cannot accomplish something, but that lack thereof is often made up by the Savior.  At this time of year, we think of Christ, we rejoice in His birth and in his ministry.   He can make up the difference, and I am so thankful for the Atonement.

    I am pretty much inept at a lot of things and it causes feelings of inadequacy and self pity.  I have always been able to put together a meal, however, but tonight it went south.  We were having the missionaries, and I was having chicken parmesian, (thanks Megan Eborn) .  It usually is quite delicious, and I was going to put together some garlic bread with cheese (usually yummy, a nice green salad, jello salad, peas and carrots with chocolate chip cookies for desert.  Ben and Jess, Layne and Emily, Alex and Daniel and Elders Chalk and Holman were coming.  At the last minute, I forgot the bread in the oven---burned the edges---couldn't find the rest of the spaghetti---killed the peas and carrots---and put the croutons in the salad too early (mushy).  Ben ran around trying to clean up after me as I sawed burnt edges from the garlic bread, dripped some sauce on the chicken  and tried to find the missing spaghetti noodles.  Ben is a neat freak, and it pains him greatly to see spaghetti sauce everywhere, and pans and pots piled as I tried to rescue dinner.  I start feeling anxous, and then the missionaries arrive.  I throw up my hands, and tell everyone to sit, whispering to Jerry, "don't eat any spaghetti".  We sat down to dinner, and I felt like we were ready to partake of the "five loaves and fishes" because of the small quantity of spaghetti.  I did find the noodles after searching one more drawer, and Ben had them on to cook.  Now, for the most embarrassing part of the dinner.  Unbeknownst to me, a knife thief has entered our home and we have none save nine forks!!!!  Seriously folks, who only has nine forks?   Jerry was the one assigned  to set the table, and I guess he thought we could make do with a spoon and a knife.  When I saw Daniel trying to eat balance spaghetti on his knife, I washed mine and gave it to him.  How pathetic is that?  

    Then, as we sat and talked with our missionaries and listened to their message, it occured to me that we were in a very warm place with people that we loved and that we had food to eat.  So many people

  cannot say that, and I feel blessed that I am comfortable when it is cold outside.   I have friends, family and a testimony of Jesus Christ.  I don't think the fact that I don't have enough forks can alter that fact.  Things often disappear from our house, and I don't have an answer for it.  I have no talent for organization, but I can keep trying.  In the meantime I will try to remember what I have to be grateful for and not berate myself for the things I am not....and they are many!! 

 I will listen to my kids play Christmas songs, rejoice in the season and continue to find the things in life that make me happy.   I know that there are people  who are suffering right now, and I will try to remember that while they have trials, I have minor annoyances.  I hope to focus more on what is right with my life, and to let the little things go.  I am so grateful for a loving Savior who knows us , and that someday all will be made right.  I believe it was President Gordon B. Hinckley who said, "have patience for the small trials in your life, and courage for the big ones, and when you go to bed at night, remember that God is in charge."

  

 

Adam Michael Taylor