This is Taylei today.
This was Taylei yesterday.
Softball was a play all day kind of deal. Eleven straight hours. She pitched her little guts out. The stands were cheering her on. "Dig deep" seemed to be the constant cheer. We ended in second place after battling back from deep in the losers bracket. She was amazing and so were her ten other teammates but that is another story, for another day. I seem to get lost and delayed when I post about tournaments.
When you play that much ball, in that much heat, with no breaks for meals, bad things happen. It is hard to keep going when your little 80 pound frame has 0 energy reserves and has been giving 113 percent all day long in 90 degree plus temperatures. I believe every member of her team were taking ibuprofen to try and relieve the pains of the day.
We arrived home at midnight on Saturday and to Taylei's horror she realized it was fast Sunday. I, being the mom and all, quickly assured her she did not need to fast. I knew she had nothing in her. I knew her body was past exhaustion and rightfully so. I knew she needed food.
I underestimated my little girl and her will to follow the commandments of our Heavenly Father.
The last Relief Society lesson I gave was based on a talk given by Carl B. Cook entitled, "Look Up."
Elder Cook shares an experience with his daughter: He served as a mission president in New Zealand during his daughters high school years. When she turned 21, she said, “Dad, Mom, I think I need to serve a mission.” He was pleased with this righteous decision, but knowing it had been a sacrifice for her to move away from friends and family during her teenage years, he told her, “You’ve already served a mission.”
She smiled and said, “No, Dad, you have. Now I want to go serve the Lord.”
She served her Heavenly Father and His children in Spain, following the impression she felt. She didn’t let a well-meaning parent—convince her to do anything other than what she felt was right for her life and Heavenly Father’s plan for her.
Sign me up for making the same mistake. A good friend told me we sometimes 'rationalize' why it is o.k. to not follow our Heavenly Father's commandments. I was doing this with my daughter. She is greater than me. She has more faith. She is an awesome example to me each and every day. She is one of my greatest blessings and I love her, and each of my children, dearly.
