Teaching Moment

Last Wednesday ended up being quite the day for us.  We started out relatively calm.  I got everyone out the door to seminary and school.  Did a quick clean and run then after getting ready went to watch Leah's track and field.  The weather forecast was very windy and downpour.  But at 11 Leah said everything was still a go so up I went.  It was a bit drizzly.  I was glad I had brought an umbrella, she had also asked for a tarp for them to all put their stuff on since the ground was wet.  She placed 3rd or 4th in all her events, so good but not good enough for zones.

The high school track team always runs the events.  By about one the coach was announcing that they were speeding things up, the kids were not going to get breaks and no wait time between events.  They were trying to beat the storm.  Leah's team did amazing in the relay.  Beat all else by 6 seconds, which is huge in a race.

Everything was done by 2:15.  Half hour later it started to rain.  And rain hard.  Cora had a rugby game that evening.  Her coach always said that the game would only be cancelled if they couldn't see the lines on the field.  It was a weird feeling, driving up to a game when you could barely see the road, the rain was so heavy.

But play they did.  And won.  Their fingers were numb, every break they huddles together.  The wind was about 80 km.  That rain felt like nails. I wrapped up in a blanket and the tarp I had taken for Leah, then Dave's big coat and the umbrella.  Most parents smartly stayed in their cars, but I couldn't see through all the rain on the windshield.

On the way home all Cora and I wanted to do was get in dry clothes and have a hot meal.  As we drove in the yard I noticed that our canvas tent that we are using as sort of garage was barely standing up to the wind.  Dave had braced our trampoline and water tank before he left for his meetings and had reinforced the tent.  But the tent was taking a beating.  We came in and got dry, I told the kids we needed to pray that our tent would hold in this wind.  A few minutes later, Blake slipped out the door, he came back in quickly and told us that the tent was going over.  I seriously had no idea what to do.  All I could think was if we got some vehicles on either side it might prevent it from blowing away.  So out Cora and Blake went, back in the pouring rain to move vehicles.  I sent Dave a text apologizing for interrupting the meeting but to please call.  He called right away and gave us a few suggestions.  He couldn't do anything as he was an hour away.  I ran outside to do what he had said and soon notice that Jared, my brother-in-law, was on his way over with some bales.  He literally saved us.  We were so incredibly thankful that he had looked out his window when he did.  As he went back for a few more loads of bales, Blake and I waited outside.  We both didn't want to be hanging out inside all calm as Jared was doing our work.  As we were standing there I told Blake how grateful I was that he had listened to the prompting to come check the tent when he did.  The next few moments ended up being very sweet and tender as we stood in the biting, driving rain and discussed the Holy Ghost.   How proud I am of his testimony and how excited he was to realize that he had gotten a prompting and been obedient in following it.  I will be forever grateful that I was prompted to make that passing comment that began the conversation.  I am thankful for that small peaceful teaching moment out in the storm.