Giant Problems

Good Morning World.  It’s another day, another chance to put on my courage and face today’s Goliaths. It seems that in times past I was able to hurl huge boulders at the challenges that arose each day, stand triumphant with my hands on my hips and with my chin in the air exclaim, “Ha! Take that!!”

But as I get older the metaphorical stones in my slingshot are smaller and the thrust has less oomph even though powerful Goliaths return day after day…the old familiar health issues, the general being-a-widow issues, weather related issues and the assorted people utilizing their free agency to get in the way of my free agency issues.

But today instead of summoning the strength to go to into battle, my thoughts float to a distant memory of “The Little Chapel in the Pines” nestled in the forest a few miles from our cabin. We spent the summers of my childhood at the cabin and this became our Sunday morning meetinghouse.  It was a tiny log cabin with a few benches inside; too few on many occasions as most often we would sit on logs arranged in an orderly fashion outside with the doors and windows of the little church flung wide open. We could hear the organ, sing the songs and almost hear the talks, if they projected really well.  I loved sitting out there in the forest, with my family; looking down the length of the log I can still envision my Dad next to Mother holding my baby brother and then my sister/best friend next to me.  The smell of the pine trees filled my senses and the frolicking and chattering of the chipmunks and squirrels supplied endless entertainment. Wild strawberries flourished around the logs and I would secretly (in all of my childhood innocence) select the brightest red one to eat with the bread and water of the Sacrament when it was passed to us. Delicious!  I felt I got to know Heavenly Father at this little church. Surrounded by the beauty He created and the peace that came with it, I felt Him close and I cherished it.

I have been to many of the great cathedrals of the world with all their exquisite architecture and inspiring artwork and I’ve been inside many, many modern chapels but etched into my heart are the pristine moments I felt while sitting on that little log in the forest; studying the soft brilliance of the shafts of morning sunlight filtering through the trees and humming the hymns at the Little Chapel in the Pines.

I think the most powerful stone in my arsenal was also nurtured there in the forest since the organist had a rather small repertoire and each and every week we would sing…”Did You Think to Pray”.  I listened to the words as my Dad sang it.  The song somehow made me happy even though it was laden with phrases like “When your heart was filled with anger” or “When sore trials came upon you” or the worst one... “When your soul was bowed in sorrow” all things that my contented nary-a-care in the world little mind could hardly begin to comprehend.  But the chorus always solved the woeful problem “Oh how praying rests the weary, prayer will change the night to day, so when life seems dark and dreary, don’t forget to pray”.

Prayer has been the most dominant stone I’ve used against the many Goliaths I have faced since Dale died. In my arsenal bag I also have other smooth, well used stones labeled ‘Sing’  ‘Study’  ‘Laugh’  ‘Renew’ ‘Serve’  ‘Be Aware’ ‘Music’ ‘Art’  ‘Ask for Angels’ ‘Love’.  I’ve heard it said that sometimes God will put a Goliath in your life for you to find the David within you.

When I was studying art and sculpting in Florence Italy I took upon myself the project of sculpting the hand of David.  Many days I walked into Galleria dell’Accademia to study and marvel at Michelangelo’s famous David.  Towering 17 feet tall, the sculptor had created the youth’s likeness in a single giant size block of marble. A magnificent tribute to a boy who had overpowered the dreadful Goliath with a single stone slung from a slingshot - powered by prayer. David had become the symbol of Florence who stood to fight against its much larger foes and who faced Rome with his warning glare.

His hand held the stone and I worked on that hand day after day for weeks in bringing it to life in clay with my own hand. I felt the power of that hand and the power of that small stone.  I thought of that little girl sitting on a pine log in the forest singing…”When sore trials came upon you, when your soul was bowed in sorrow..Did you think to pray?”.

David surely did.  Prayer was the power behind the stone.

He had to actually do something with that stone though. He followed his prayers with inspired actions.  And so today, this morning as daylight sets in, I need to do the same since a giant problem has already raised its ugly head and even though the forecast for the weather today; COLD AND WET has proven to be accurate…I need to head out quickly but before I leave my room this morning I will pray and I will armor myself with my metaphorical stones and head out to battle this foe while keeping in mind Thomas S. Monson's reminder that "There will be times when you will be frightened and discouraged. You may feel that you are defeated. The odds of obtaining victory may appear overwhelming. At times you may feel like David trying to fight Goliath. But remember - David did win!"