I was on my way home from work and he called me to tell me that his friends were coming over to talk. I knew that I needed to lay low and out of the way. It sounded serious.
These are the 5 most popular boys on campus. Seniors, cute, athletic, friendly, good boys, aaronic priesthood holders. One of them ,Student Body president and a captain of the football team. Another, the teams quarterback and probably the most sought after by girls of all ages, also a captain. And another, the President of the Seminary for the high school and another team captain. The other 2 just as active and involved and well known on the high school campus as the others. All 5 of them working together have quite an influence on their peers and make an awesome team. Where one goes, the others follow. Where one leads, the others support. Where one falls ,the others rally around to buoy him up. An unbelievable team of powerful young men. Where ever you find them together they will undoubtably be laughing and joking, or making plans to do something spectacular. Always up to something fun.
They come and go in a whirlwind. Never missing an activity and often the instigators of crazy tricks. Never tiring of good deeds and constant involvment while carrying high grades and setting the example of what a young aaronic priesthood holder should be. Very aware of the fact that they have hundreds of kids looking at them and watching their every move. These are definately young men of the Latter days. The kind that mothers only dream of raising. Truly young men preparing to be on he Lord's errand.
As I came thru the door and approached the living room where these 5 boys sat, I gave a friendly greeting then quickly entered my bedroom and closed the door behind me. Their joking and laughter continued for a bit, but soon it turned quiet as one boy began to slowly reveal to the others the burdens he had been carrying. I moved a little closer to the door as I folded the clothes on my bed trying not to eves drop too closely. I could not hear a word clearly so I decided to go about my own business and let them have their privacy.
As the time passed this boy continued to pour out his heart. Suddenly, the silent stirrings of the spirit entered my bedroom, and then my heart, and I began to cry. Then I heard some of the other boys one by one say something so quietly that again I could not make it out and the tears continued to come. Eventually I heard the boys move in the room and I could tell that they were moving closer together as I wiped my face. I had a sudden urge to run through my bedroom door and grab them one by one and hug them tightly. But of course I could'nt. The only thing I could hear at this point was the sniffing back of teenage boy tears. Finally after about an hour of this solemness, I heard the unfamiliar quiet in my house break and the talking, joking and laughing started again.
Suddenly I heard a knock on my bedroom door as my son announced that they were moving to another boys house to do homework. As he prepared to leave, I told him, "I couldn't hear a word you boys were saying but the spirit in this house was so thick it had brought me to tears." I told him that they had something very special with this friendship. Something that doesnt happen very often." He smiled and said, "I know" he only offered that they had had a prayer. Then he said "bye Mom, I love you".
I stand all amazed.
"Still amazed by my children"
At this point in my flight, I paused and looked out the window to reflect upon these things. The sun was low in the western sky, close to begin its setting beyond the blanket of clouds just below the plane. A radiant salmon colored hue highlighted the cloudy white layer. It was beautiful. As I continued to reflect, the plane began to descend into the opaque layer of clouds and the glorious view of the wonderfully lit sky slowly disappeared. As we descended further and came out of the clouds, it was a whole different feeling. Beneath the cloudy ceiling, the sky was gray and foreboding, the sun’s light obscured from view. Everything felt so gloomy below that powerfully opaque layer of clouds. What an object lesson! The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for such a visual aid! Within a matter of minutes I had been a traveler in both worlds: one glorious, peaceful and full of light; the other dark, foreboding and full of anything but light. Both worlds existed at the same time and yet both were completely separate from each other.