Yesterday was my first day teaching Gospel Doctrine. I was calm in part because MR. AMAZING DASHING spent all of Saturday organizing and doing house chores so I could prepare for my lesson. It was difficult on me to have him working while I was studying away--but he too likes to prepare for lessons and was sympathetic to the reality that he has a wife that has never read the Old Testament for herself-EVER and knew I needed the time! What a priesthood hunk I have got! I love him.
Because of the holiday and teachers being out of town, I agreed to take over the third hour with the sunbeams. So after Gospel Doctrine I rushed to take into my possession the nine little sunbeams. It has been a LONG time since I taught four year old. Eight girls and one boy. Mr. Dashing helped for a moment and then had to leave to Young Mens. Some other primary workers asked if I needed a pair of extra hands, but I already knew they were short teachers as I had just taken on two classes. I sent them on their way trusting that God knew I was just trying to help out.
Big chairs for the tiny "seats" and a squished room made for a very oblong circle. It didn't help that I had a metal covering on the floor in the back of the room. All the little Easter shoes liked to try and sneak back and "tap" dance through the lesson. On top of the constant leading children away from the crate we learned about the creation. With the every 30 secs or so of "I want my Daddy" "Where are the treats" "Is this over yet" "My favorite color is purple" "she is in my chair" and so on... Seriously at moments, it was like dad says... "trying to herd cats"!! ;)
Not even into half of the hour, we were finishing a little activity-- when I heard a cry that turned into a sobbing scream. I looked under my table only to discover that my little bottle of peppermint oil was out of my bag and a three-year-old girl had opened it and had rubbed her hands into her eye. I don't know about any of you--- but peppermint oil has got to be worst then pepper spray in the eyes.
WHAT TO DO?!?!? This class was in a remote part of the building where other classes were not. I didn't have a co teacher. I had NO idea who this little girls parent's were, (I had already tried to figure out what her "name" was with no success of understanding her little language) and I didn't even know who the primary president was. Truly--I was as SUBSTITUTE as one can get in the church! I grabbed the little girl knowing I needed to try and wash her fast, but knowing once water got on her the burning would intensify even more. All the children were distressed because of the cries of this little girl. I asked them all to keep coloring and to stay put while I took her to the bathroom. The little fear in their faces matched my own anxiety. I told them she would be okay but we needed to get her washed.
We rushed into the bathroom and washed her hands with soap. Her eye was already red and swollen. I silently prayed not having a CLUE what to do. Knowing that even if I washed her eye the burning may last for a long time. I told Heavenly Father I was just trying to do my best but couldn't leave all the other children to find this one's parents.... After washing her hands and her permanent smelling eye, I grabbed some paper towels, soaked them and gave them for her to hold up to her eye. With her still crying I did the only thing I could think to do... I carried her back to class and kept her on my lap.
Angels must have attended the room for no four year old escaped! As I walked in the room, I saw their eyes and little hearts were filled with concern for their classmate. I sat in front of them still holding the girl in my arms and told them what had happened. I then shared with them that we needed to have a prayer for this little girl and ask Heavenly Father to help her. A little girl came to the front of the room. With the girl still crying and wimpering in my lap, this other girl and the whole class folded their arms. I helped the little girl with her prayer....please bless this girls eyes to get better and to be okay. The little girl sat down and the drama of the moment seemed to calm the children for a little bit.
Still trying to open her red swollen eye the little girl on my lap let out some discomfort grunts for about five mins... or was it a little less? Then, all of a sudden she did not want the wet paper towel any more and she practically jumped off my lap to take her own seat. (*Her seat that she had barely sat on in the first place because she was one of the children that were all over.)
About seven mins after the prayer she wasn't even touching her eye and other than the redness and the little swelling she acted as if she had never got peppermint into her eye. By the end of the class not only were her bangs dry from where I had gotten them wet, but there was NO redness in her eye any more!!!!
Truly a miracle!!
As we closed up our lesson, someone else gave the closing prayer and we all thanked Heavenly Father for the miracle that He had preformed. I guarantee you it was NOT my faith that blessed us yesterday--but all the sweet, believing blood of these three and four year olds! I had witnessed their miracle!
I hope at least one of them will remember what God did for a tiny girl, in a tiny, room, with peppermint oil in her eye. I know this is something I will not forget.
And HA wouldn't you know it?!?! The dad of this little girl came in after class was over and although there was nothing physical that would give away the encounter with the oil (and being slightly tempted to not even tell him what happened)--I told him what had happened. He mentioned that they like peppermint oil at their house too and they all know too well that it is not good in the eyes! I smiled as the one child who has had experience with oils in the home, was the child who had the oil in the eye.Maybe that is why she opened up the oil in the first place--having watched her mom use similar little bottles?!
Oh the faith of children! If mine could be as such!
Happiness is the Dashing man who allows me time to try and magnify my calling.
I grateful for peppermint oil rescuing angels and the prayers and faith of four-year-olds!
God is a God of Miracles!
Oh and PS.
A big thanks to Amber and Brian who recently moved here from Ohio and came to church yesterday to support us singing in the ward choir! It was like having our own family in the congregation. Thanks you two!
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