There was an hour or more this afternoon with screaming and crying kids. As I solved one problem a new one would appear and no amount of calmly reasoning or helpful suggestions made any difference.
This is one of those good mom moments where I turned to prayer and not locking everyone in a room so I could go outside and have my own break down.
I didn’t have any new amazing ideas and my kids didn’t stop screaming during or after my plea to my Heavenly Father. And yet in those contentious crazy moments I kept my cool, I had the patients to stay, to hug whichever child would let me hug them. I didn’t have answers. I couldn't force my kids to be happy or kind but I could show them I loved them. During this endless cycle of calming one problem to have 2 pop up in its place I decided to text my husband to commiserate. As I did so the thought to turn on primary songs came to my mind so I sent a short text instead of the long winded monologue I’d planned and turned on music.
The next hour went smooth. I was able to hold laundry and my children played and even helped a bit, no big blow ups that needed my meditating or disciplinary skills. Then my son got a hold of my phone and inadvertently stopped the music. Not a big deal. I finished putting away the clothes then got my phone. I saw my husband had text me back, I let him know things had calmed down then had to figure out how to undo the damage my son had done and finally did get the music back on.
During the time the music wasn’t playing all of my kids had all found something to cry or scream about.Throughout these last few hours I have been trying to find a reason why all my kids are so on edge today... lack of sleep… hunger... sickness... all crossed my mind but none seem to fit today. Now we are coming to why I’m writing this experience down. When the primary music came back on I felt the holy ghost put thoughts in my mind. This is the text I sent my husband,
“After I messaged you and was trying to put music back on all of the kids cried for one reason or another. I want to say I guess it's just one of those days but as I type, I realize that maybe Satan is just working really hard on our family today, we need the primary songs to shield us, so the spirit can be in our home”
I think about the battles my kids will fight as teenagers and I’ve thought that all of the teaching I’m doing now is to hopefully help them to guard against the future battles they will have with Satan. But today was the 1st time I thought about the battles my kids and I are currently fighting. Satan isn’t waiting until my children are older he wants them now, and he hasn’t given up on me yet. Today Satan attached my family and I was ready! I’ve been studying the scriptures, I’ve learned how to turn to the lord for strength. Today he answered my prayers in the middle of contention and chaos and I listened to the prompting to turn on primary music and it is shielding us from Satan this very minute. The songs are helping the spirit stay in my home. Words cannot express the joy that has come from my relationship with my Savior today, or the gratitude I feel for an answered prayer.
