"Be Still..."

Five 'o clock in the evening can be a very busy time for a family.

Last night was busy for us.

My hubby is out of town, testing for a new job, which has left me to run our family alone.

Before he left, we prayed together as a family. My hubby, being our Priesthood holder, offered a blessing of safety and peace upon the kids as I while he is away.

Being a single mom of 3 for 5 days is proving to be very trying on my patience and my sanity.

I was trying to make dinner before we needed to get out the door to get Alex to flag football practice on time.

I had a large pot of mac & cheese boiling on the stove, was trying to steam up some vegetables for the baby, rinsing off dishes to put in the dishwasher, a few other things as well as trying to inhale a bite of a burrito for myself between tasks. The baby was strapped in her high chair, screaming because she was hungry. Alex was singing her a song at the top of his lungs, trying to calm her down, bless his little heart. Emma retreated to her bedroom to play; she's not a fan of the chaos as much as the rest of us, I suppose.

I removed the pasta from the stove, poured out the water, put it into my favorite big blue plastic bowl. Added the butter, powdered cheese and milk. While stirring it together, I called out for Emma to come to the table.

"Eeeemmmmma, it's almost time to eat, come sit down, baby girl.'

Her usual response is something like "Coming, mom!" or "O.K., I coming!"

But this time there was only silence.

"Emma, come on honey, it's time to pray so that we can eat."

Still nothing from my little blonde haired, blue eyed girl.

Suddenly, I got a feeling, a familiar feeling, but not the good kind of familiar. A feeling of panic. Immediately recognizing the feeling, the thought came to me, "GO!"

I RAN as fast as I could around the corner to Emma's bedroom where she was playing to find her standing near her dresser.

Choking.

She obviously couldn't call back to me, she couldn't breathe.

My first thought was to get behind her and proceed with the Heimlich Maneuver, but that familiar feeling spoke to me again, saying "NO!" Surprised at the thought, yet obedient, I knelt behind my daughter and gently, yet forcefully enough, pounded on my little girls back, which is a very scary thing to have to do to a petite little 3 year old. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth and began vomiting. And then I saw it. The little purple butterfly barrette she had been wearing in her darling little blonde curls just moments before had somehow made its way into her mouth and was threatening to take away her life.

After I took it out of her mouth and examined her, and after she caught her breath, I held her. I couldn't get enough of her. And I cried. And cried.

And then she was happy, and proceeded to tell me that she was hungry. Of course she was. I held her little hand and lead her to the table to join her brother and sister, where we prayed together.

And as they ate, I made my way into my bedroom . . .

Where I got down on my knees and prayed.

I thanked my Heavenly Father for speaking to me, giving me guidance to help my little girl.

I thanked Him for my membership in His church.

I thanked Him for the gift of the Holy Ghost that that I was blessed with 20 years ago.

I thanked Him for my desire to do good to live worthy of those promptings.

I thanked Him for telling me not to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on little Emma, because if I had, I am certain that the barrette would have further lodged itself into her tiny throat.

And I thanked my Heavenly Father for reminding me that, even when my world is chaotic and I'm trying to do a million things at once, that I need to be still . . . that I always need to listen and obey.

"Be still, and know that I am God."
Psalms 46:10