...With Babes in the Woods

I recently met a woman who had a lullaby she sang to her children each night. I was privileged enough to hear her song and her explanation of it's importance:

                        Oh, don't you remember, a long time ago,
                        There were two little babes, their names I don't know.
                        They strayed far away one bright summer's day,
                        And were lost in a wood, I've heard people say.

                        And when it was night so sad was their plight,
                        Oh the sun it went down and the stars gave no light.
                        They sobbed and they sighed, and they bitterly cried,
                        Then the two little babes, they laid down and died.

                        And when they were dead, the robins so red
                        Spread strawberry leaves all over their heads.
                        And all the day long  they sang their sweet song
                        Of the poor little babes who never did wrong!

It's an interesting old English song, with a surprisingly comforting tune, contrasting the story it tells. Yet, this experienced mother taught the message of what this song warns against: when the song was originally written, it was meant to keep young children from wandering in the woods. Today we don't have woods to wander through, but we do wander through danger each day. This song warns of wandering away from the light of what we know, and entering into a world of darkness through sin and denying God.

So, although the story may be simple enough, I hope, after looking at it again, we can heed it's warning and keep God's commandments, staying in the light.

...With Weeds

As I was reading in the Ensign, a magazine published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I came across an article titled This Year It's a Weed--Pull It.

It's a simple enough story of weeding a field of corn; however, the narrator finds a large potato plant. It's not a weed but it's not what is currently growing in that field. That year, the potato was a weed.

I learned that "obedience is not just making a right choice but making a right choice in the right season...Satan deceives us by convincing us to do the right things in the wrong order: sexual intimacy before marriage, dating before age 16, becoming a parent and then getting married, and so forth. The greatest commandments of God, when compromised or polluted, become plants grown out of season—weeds."

What a profound teaching! And how true it is! Satan is the father of all lies, although he'll often add a dash of truth to the equation to convince us of his lies. The ability to create life is incredible! The blessing of being with an eternal companion is wonderful! But we need to make sure we are not cultivating these blessings in the wrong year. We need to obey God, but more important we must trust and follow his time frame, not only in deed but in our hearts and minds as well. We need to focus on righteousness, and avoid the distractions of things that may be good, but are not the best for us now.