picture from:http://madronoranch.blogspot.com
Some time ago I went to a park with my three year old niece. She attempted many of the play items on the playground. Her favorite piece of playground equipment was the twisty slide. She would slide down it over and over. Soon, however, that was not enough. She then wanted to imitate some of the older children, and climb up the slide. I watched her as she attempted to climb up several times, and slid back down to the bottom of the slide with each unsuccessful attempt. Finally, I saw that she was determined to reach this goal, I knew it was now time to offer my support. Without saying a word I stretched out my hand towards her. Being three, I knew it was likely she would reject the proffered hand and she would proclaim, "I do it myself."
She looked at the hand and said, “Sara help me.” I stretched my hand even closer to her. She reached out her little, sweet hand and
grasped my hand. With her other hand she
clutched the edge of the slide and slowly but surely began making her way up
the slide. Several times she released my
hand and put more trust in the side of the slide than my hand, and she did not
adjust the position of her hand as we went up the slide, causing her to slide
back to the bottom of the slide.
With loving eyes, I watched as she refused to give up, she
in fact, kept climbing up that twisty slide with determination. Eventually, she learned to balance her grip on
the slide and her grip of my hand and made significant progress up the slide.
We came to another hurdle. As she climbed up the slide we came to a point
where, although I could hold her hand still, I could not see her and she could
not see me. There was no eye to eye
contact. She had to trust that I would
remain there holding her hand, and I had to trust she would keep climbing up
the slide. She slid down once more,
but, this time, with confidence she climbed up that slide, and although she
couldn’t see me and I couldn’t see her we trusted in each other and knew we
were each there. She charged up that slide, reached the top
and proclaimed, “I did it!”
This was an incredible learning moment for me. For one, it brought about the complete
understanding of the idea of scaffolding.
I could have just dragged her up that slide, and she could have been
successful, but she wouldn’t have learned how to climb up the slide, or
developed some of the capabilities and competencies in the experience of
climbing.
Most importantly, I recognized in a very minor way some of the
ways our Savior operates in the teaching and guiding of his earthly children. He also allows us time to test out our
abilities and see what we can do. When
we reach our limit, he also reaches his hand out to us, with the option to take
it or not. He also will not drag us up
the slide, just because He wants us to feel success. He knows it will be
worthless in our progress and painful. He
also has to allow us to learn to adjust our grip, our balance and our
perspective. He also watches, and hopes
we will climb again, that we will reach out our hand and grasp his capable and
loving hand. He also has to trust, that
though we are unable to see him eye to eye, we will continue to grasp, and
continue to climb. He understands most
completely, that we have to learn through scaffolding, we have to build competencies
of faith, hope, resiliency, love, endurance, patience, and peace in order to
meet the challenges of life ahead.
How many times that I have said, “Help me Father!!!” and he has reached out his hand towards me? How many times have I ended up in awkward
positions, let go when I have not completely trusted in that I could get
through this challenge? How many times
has he been there as I readjusted, tried to learn from my weaknesses and
mistakes? How many times has He trusted
that I would keep going when He seemed far away? How many times have I said, “I did it!!” Instead of, “Thank you!!”?
From the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 15:11 states, “Do ye not
remember the things which the Lord hath said?
If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that
ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely the things
shall be made known unto you.”
Elder David A. Bednar stated about inquiring of the Lord,
which is the first step in taking the Lord’s outstretched hand, “it is
spiritually demanding and rigorous process. Sincere desire, diligent preparation and
faithful confidence in and commitment to act upon expected instruction.”
I am so grateful for all that I have. May I continue to understand His grace and
mercy and great love. May I be grateful
of His understanding of what I need to grow and learn and become stronger, more
capable and be able to live the most beautiful life possible. May I continually say “Thank you” and act upon
my faith.
