Kids are the Best

One of our Primary boys [just turned 10] spent the past week in the Dell Children's Hospital here in Austin. He was diagnosed with a severe bone infection (osteomyelitis) in his foot and had to come home with an IV, through which his parents will administer antibiotic treatments 5x a day for the next month or so. I hear these treatments last about an hour each time. Needless to say, their lives changed pretty quickly and dramatically.

He is doing well but there will be no more school for him this year, no sports, and lots of care needed. He has 2 younger brothers [one is 8 and the other is 3] and I feel for all of them. So I decided to address it with the children in Primary.

I had the 8 year old tell the Sr. Primary about what had happened to his brother, describe a little bit of what he's gone through and will continue to deal with, and then I talked with the children about remembering both the boy and his family in their prayers. When it came time for the closing prayer, one sweet little 7 year old boy offered the most loving, tender prayer I've heard in a long time. He was specific about asking for blessings for the boy and his family and it was clear he had listened and heard as we talked about it. I know Heavenly Father had to be touched to be approached by a loving little boy who cared so much about one of his Primary friends.

Later, at our presidency meeting, my secretary told us that her son [age 10] had come home and talked about it too. At dinner time, he came down and announced that he was going to fast "because he needs me to fast for him more than I need to eat dinner." And he did. They remembered him in their family prayers later on as well.

Once again, I'm overwhelmed by these children. These are such strong, valiant children who really want to do good and to be good. And they are doing so much good.

I'm proud to be even a small part of their lives. Can you imagine how Heavenly Father must feel?

*picture via flickr