He Hears the Prayers of the Children

On March 20th at 11:15 I threw some rotten leaves from the tomato patch in the dumpster, and I looked for my ring, because I always do that since if I lost my ring in the dumpster it would be gone forever. My ring wasn't on my finger! So I threw Simeon in the dumpster. He moved some stuff around, and then I pulled him out. Then I got a poll, and moved some stuff around again. I did not see my ring in there. So I looked in the tomato patch and the grass around it. I said a prayer.

I have decided that the reason every child has a story about how they said a prayer and found what they needed is because children don't understand the magnitude of the situation, so they don't have panic and the thought of 10 and half years, and irreplaceable, and nicest-thing-you-will-ever-own crowding out the spirit. So I tried to get Simeon to say a prayer and have him find it. He wouldn't.

I spent the next three hours looking for my ring--working backwards from the dumpster.

Then we went to get Reuben. I threw him in the dumpster and we emptied it into the other dumpster. Then he and I crawled through the yard. Then he came in and looked in the house. Then we went to the park which was the last place Jana saw me with it, and then we went to Culver's because who can resist Culver's when they are really sad and frustrated and Justin is gone (he was in Idaho on production). We went through the drive thru, when we got home and I leaned over to get the drink tray I remembered that last night after weight watchers I leaned over to get my water bottle and my ring slipped and I pushed it back on with my thumb cause my hands were full, and I thought, "I could put my ring on the straw to carry it to the house." So, I know I had it last night at 8. I checked my water bottle, just in case I did do that silly thing I thought. I didn't, but I wish I had cause the water bottle was exactly where I put it last night.

Its gone and I'm really sad.

And now for the rest of the story:

Justin got home around midnight on friday, and Saturday Morning I had to go to the General Women's Conference Rehearsal. Justin and Reuben looked while I was gone. and then Justin and I looked for two hours more when I got home. Then the family went to see frozen with Justin's work (they made it snow in the theater!) Then that night I cleaned under our bed (thinking it might have fallen while I was asleep). The bed was up on it's side so I vacuumed and listened for a clink clink. no luck but under the bed is really clean now.

Sunday, we went to church. When Sister Passey introduced music time, she said "oh wait," and then told the kids about how I lost my ring, and how she thought that if they prayed that I would find it that I would be able to find it. I cried. The thought didn't even cross my mind to ask for that kind of help from the kids. They were all so concerned and agreed to do it. Then I asked the senior primary and told them that I appreciated Sister Passey, but knew I needed to show my faith and ask them for help. 

 

The primary president's husband (Brett) has some metal detectors, and had offered to come over and help. She and I made plans to do it this afternoon while Justin and He made plans to do it Wednesday night. Then the wives and husbands met in the hallway and the wives won. They came over at 3:40. With their two boys and on of the neighbors. The boys were going to use the lowest grade metal detector. I was showing everyone were I had been in the yard that day. And the boys were ready so they turned on, and I was leading Tyler over to where there wouldn't be as many sprinkler heads and poles. Brett followed to go get the fancier metal detectors. and he stopped, bent over, and said, "Here it is." He is kind of joker, and Reuben and I had crawled around on that part of the yard twice already. But when I turned around he was holding my ring!

I know it was a miracle of faith.  I know because I needed the faith of my loved ones (all those primary kids...and all my friends on facebook). Brett says that he was expecting to find it down in the roots of the grass, because that is were jewelry falls too, especially with all of the crawling around we did, and it really was just laying on the top of the grass which was not expected. I know that Heavenly Father was using my weakness (difficulty trusting and having faith and asking for help from others) to not only teach me a lesson but to also teach the children in our ward an important lesson. This is what I wrote to send to the kids.

Dear primary children,

Thank you for your prayers and faith! Brother and Sister Thompson, with their boys and Jack P, came over with metal detectors.  I showed them where I was when I think I lost it. Brother Thompson didn't even get to turn on the fancy metal detector, he saw my ring laying in the grass and said "here it is." I had looked and looked but I needed help from my friends and from Heavenly Father.

I want you to know that it is a blessing that we found it. Heavenly Father hears our prayers. We need to have faith that he will grant us the blessings that will be best for us. We also need to trust in His timing. I think  I wasn't able to find it so that I could learn that I need to rely on faith and the faith of my loved ones (you). Your prayers and faith and brother Thompson's sharp eye were the tools that Heavenly Father used to show me how much he loves me. I know He loves you as much as he loves me and will answer your prayers.

Thank you for your faith, it is a great example to me!

Sister Cook