Little Show Stopper

Photography by Jarod Ormsby

Today, Maggie stole the show. We had the primary program during church, where the children age 3-11 get up in front of the whole congregation to sing and give little talks bearing testimony that they are children of God. It's amazing, uplifting, inspiring, and encouraging to see such little people speak of spiritual things with such conviction. Maggie is only 4, so at her age they give them a line to memorize and say into the microphone in front of everyone. She had her line memorized the first day they told it to her. We spent the next few weeks asking her to repeat it, just to make sure she would remember.  We would go over how she would get up to the pulpit and hold the microphone and say her line. We practiced on our little toy microphone at home.  She was really excited, but still every once in a while she wouldn't want to do it; just refusing to participate. This is not out of the ordinary.  Maggie is a very stubborn, opinionated girl.  She does what she wants, when she wants, only varying from this course when bribed and coerced to do otherwise. I said a little prayer that she would be willing to do it, and not throw a fit because she was being forced to do something she didn't want to do.

When her turn comes, she marches up to the podium with the other kids in her group.  She waits patiently in line, then steps up the two steps to grab the microphone. You can barely see the top of her head over the pulpit, but she says in a clear loud voice, "My testimony is strengthened when I share the gospel!" A smile is threatening to split my face and tears are pricking my eyes. Then....
She won't let go of the microphone and says "I want to say it again!" Bless the hearts of her teacher and the primary leader who was helping the kids, they let her say it again. Everyone was laughing.  I couldn't stop. I was crying I was laughing so hard. Luckily a song was next and the kids were loudly singing about the prophets as they pulled her away from the pulpit.  She threw a bit of a fit, but her teacher knows just how to calm her and had her standing in front of her seat singing along with the other kids in no time.

I'm so grateful for patient, determined teachers and leaders that are in place to help Maggie. I'm grateful for a loving, supportive husband, and for an adorable and exhaustingly active son. I'm grateful for an energetic, stubborn, outgoing, curious daughter. My family brings me so much joy. I love them.