The Palm of His Hands

A Child’s Prayer

Today was one of those family days, our newest granddaughter was blessed in my son’s sacrament meeting. My wife, my daughter and two grandsons made the trip from Logan to Salt Lake City and as we were approaching our son’s home we noticed a little girl dressed in a white dress on the side of the road struggling with her bike. It was one of our granddaughters. She wanted to ride her bike the few blocks to church so she had set out excited to go to church but her beautiful long white dress got tangled in the chain of her bike and she was trying to get it out. We stopped and I tried to help but it would not come out. We called her dad and asked him to bring some tools so we could take off the wheel and get her dress out of the chain. While we were waiting for him a neighbor drove into his drive way and and got some tools and we were able to get the wheel off and her dress out of the chain. The hem of her dress was greasy and her dad took her and the bike home so she could change. We made it to church on time and all was well – or so we thought.

For those who are not familiar with a baby blessing in the LDS church, the father brings the infant (usually 1 or 2 months old) to the front of the congregation along with other family members, friends, and the Bishop; there were seven or eight of us for this blessing. We all stand in a circle and with one hand under the baby and the other hand on the shoulder of the one standing next to us and the father pronounces the blessing. As soon as our son started the blessing our granddaughter, Mira Danielle, started crying. Not just a little whimper, a nice big howl. There was a bit of a pause while our son john tried to quite Mira and then he continued the blessing. It as a beautiful blessing and all was well.

Mira Daniell Potter

After church and while we were at John’s home for brunch he told us what happened during the blessing. He said when he started the blessing because Mira was crying he forgot what he was supposed to do, thus the pause. He was trying to quite Mira and standing next to him was his older brother and he was rubbing John’s back and whispering in John’s ear that it was going to be ok, to take a breath and go ahead. Also in the circle was John’s friend and co-worker, Steve. He was saying a silent prayer that Mira would stop crying and just then she did. Normally when we bless a baby they lay the child on its back with everyone’s hands underneath. John was trying to get Mira up in a seated position while everyone else was trying to keep her down, thinking John was about to drop her. All this time (just a few seconds) I was remembering what it was like for me to bless him as a baby and was thinking –pay back. Well not really I was just praying he would be able to continue in spite of the crying baby.

All of this was going on while everyone’s eyes were closed for prayer, except for John who was trying to help Mira. Finally, John was able to get Mira upright and she looked at John who was looking at her and she smiled and stopped crying. As they both continued looking into each other’s eyes John gave a beautiful and touching blessing telling Mira she was a special child of our Heavenly Father and that she had a beautiful voice. After the blessing we all went and sat down and the sacrament meeting went on as usual.

The first Sunday is a testimony meeting in the LDS Church where members come up to the podium and share their testimonies of faith, Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the restoration of the Church, etc. Nine-year-old Jordan, the granddaughter that had the problem with her bike, got up and told how she had set out on her bike for church but got her dress caught in the chain. She tried to get the dress out of the chain but couldn’t. She said she then said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help her. It was soon after that when we came around the corner and saw her and stopped to help. She said she knew that our help was an answer to her prayer and said she knew Heavenly Father loved her.

When we set out from Logan to go to the baby blessing we were just going to go straight to the church but we made such good time that we decided to go to our son’s home before going to church. There may be some that would say that it was a coincidence that we were there to help Jordan, but I don’t think so. I do believe that it was an answer to a child’s prayer. One of my favorite primary songs is called “A Child’s Prayer” and it goes:

1.     Heavenly Father, are you really there?
And do you hear and answer ev'ry child's prayer?
Some say that heaven is far away,
But I feel it close around me as I pray.
Heavenly Father, I remember now
Something that Jesus told disciples long ago:
"Suffer the children to come to me."
Father, in prayer I'm coming now to thee.

2.     Pray, he is there;
Speak, he is list'ning.
You are his child;
His love now surrounds you.
He hears your prayer;
He loves the children.
Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav'n.

(Words and music: Janice Kapp Perry, b. 1938)

Jessica, our daughter-in-law, told us that Mira is Latin for wonderful miracle and Danielle is Hebrew for God is my judge; so Mira Danielle means God has judged or created a wonderful miracle. Today Mira's name really was demonstrated in her blessing it was a wonderful miracle.

Today not only was a child’s prayer answered for our granddaughter, but many other prayers were answered today as well. It was one of those wonderful family days that I will always remember.

Your comments and questions are welcome.