I find it kind of ironic the last post I made was about indoor camping. We graduated from indoor camping to outdoor camping. Brian called me up Friday on his way home from work and asked if we wanted to go camping. We loaded our van and headed for the canyon. We drove around for a while trying to find a spot. All of the campsites were full, but we found a dispersed camp site that had some empty spots and we decided to set up camp. We had fun eating dinner and roasting marshmallows. After we cleaned up it was time for bed. At some point in the early morning I was awakened by my second son who has never been a good sleeper. I tucked him back into his sleeping bag and tried to go back to sleep. I soon heard steps outside our tent. My imagination began to get the better of me, and I was afraid of what might be lurking nearby. I was worried about protecting my family. I felt my heart begin to race and began praying for safety and protection. After I finished praying I was still fearful and began praying again for peace of mind and the ability to go back to sleep. I could feel myself getting more and more anxious and fearful. As I began to pray for the third time, a thought came to my mind, "Dost thou believe that I created all things? Dost thou believe that I can command the animals? Thou dost know that I care for you and your children."
I lay in my sleeping bag listening to the animal a while longer, but I was no longer afraid of what it might do. I knew that Heavenly Father was mindful of us and would keep us safe from harm. I do not know what kind of animal it was, but I am pretty sure it was quite a large and potentially dangerous animal. I am grateful for the power of prayer and the gift of the Holy Ghost and the Atonement. I continued to think of the Young Women I serve and their preparations for Girl's Camp in a couple of weeks. I know some of them are afraid, and I remember that same fear when I was a Young Woman. I hope they know that prayer is a powerful tool in times of need, as I experienced last weekend.
