Pioneer

Once you spend seventeen hours in a car,
what's two more?
We decided since we were that close
we really should check out two of the
Mormon Pioneer sites.
No regrets on this one.
Three words kept coming to my mind
as we heard the stories of some amazing people
learned the history and interesting facts,
saw the landmarks,
and experienced a small piece of their journey:
strength, faith, and sacrifice.

 

Now I've heard countless lessons and stories
about pioneers before,
but this time it really sank in for me.
And a few weeks after this trip,
it took on a real life meaning.

It was the Sunday
two days before the kids would come into our home
and two days after we found out they were coming
and three days after Eric finalized a business trip
that would take him away from home for one week.
I was feeling rather concerned that Sunday.
I was sitting at church thinking about how Eric would be leaving me
less than a week after getting two young kids.
And we didn't know all of their needs.
And how in the world would I do it all
when we all know in the past it has been hard enough on me
on my own with our two energetic boys??
I was fretting.
Then I looked over at Kyler who was reading from the Friend magazine.
My eyes fell on the title and pictures of the story he was reading.
It was a pioneer story.
My mind was flooded with the stories I heard while in WY
and of the spirit of the pioneers
and their strength and faith and courage.
And I decided if those women could do that,
I could do this.
I could.
It would be hard, I was certain.
But unlike the pioneers,
I would have a cell phone to talk to E
a computer to skype
and
the convenience to run to a local fast food joint if I needed to.
I was comforted.
I was resolved,
well until the next wave of worry washed over me,
but I guess even then,
I was resolved
to just do it.
To just trust in the Lord and do it.

Thank you, pioneers, for the inspiration and courage
to face a challenge.