Lead Me Home

When I was in kindergarten through fourth grade, we lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The neighborhood was called Orchard Valley, but there were no orchards. There wasn’t a valley either. Just houses on dirt roads within walking distance of the elementary school, with a short cut through a field from our house to the school. Not much of a threat, unless you are a young child needing an answer for an unexpected crisis, and must turn to a trusted source.

One day after school, I was waiting for my mom, who had promised to pick me up, instead of walking home as usual. I watched all the students scatter and the playground empty, but my mom wasn’t there. Staying at the school alone made my third grade heart nervous. But if I walked home through the field, I might miss my mom’s car on the dirt road. I needed an answer.

The One Who Always Has an Answer

I decided to pray.

This was the first time I remember praying for help. I received an answer. Immediately after my prayer, I had the thought to walk home, but to walk on the dirt road rather than through the field. Sure enough, as I traveled that gravel road, I connected with Mom, who had been running a little late.

I’ve always been grateful that God answered that prayer. Looking back, I know I received an answer that might seem obvious, but I learned as an 8-year-old child that I have a Heavenly Father who loved me and gave me an answer then, and who still loves me and gives me answers now. Faith, trust, and love took firm root in my heart that day.

As adults, we attempt to solve our own problems when we can, but God never makes us feel small when we don’t know an answer. Just as He guided me to get to my Wyoming home that afternoon, He is always willing and ready to guide us to our Heavenly Home.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who loves you more than you can comprehend.”

An Answer If I Should Fall

The path of life is filled with beautiful experiences, but it is not without patches of gravel, dust, and potholes. Even when we are giving our best efforts, we will make mistakes. There will be times when we lose our footing, get covered in dust, or run into detours.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught, “The heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes. Mistakes are proof that you are trying.”

I am grateful that we can repent daily. Recently I needed forgiveness. I knelt and asked God to forgive me. He already knew what I had done, but I needed to acknowledge the mistake. I felt peace come over my heart as the guilt slipped away, like a tide from the shore. I knew He had heard my prayer and I was forgiven.

Elder Lynn G. Robbins reminded us, “Each mistake we make becomes a lesson in wisdom, turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones.”

What a faith-filled  way to view our mistakes. Instead of heavy weights that make us want to stop trying, we can think of them as lessons that move us forward on the path to God.

Whether our season of life feels like a fruitful orchard or like a dirt road full of challenges, we can trust Heavenly Father to hear each prayer and give an answer that will lift us when we fall. As Jude 1:24 reassures us, He is “able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.”

Lead me home/ Guide my path today

Fill my mind, with thoughts of Thee/ Help me live

The way Thy Son would live/ Light my way

Lead me home

But if I should fall/ Will you lift me up

So I can see my potential in life/ Will you hold my hand

Until I’m in your arms/And I behold your face

(Lyrics from the song “Lead Me Home”)

Listen to “Lead Me Home” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUngHYgVpZQ