An Open Window

I heard a story at work today that gave me the chills and wanted to share it with you. 

A young mother had just moved into a third floor apartment in San Francisco.  The apartment had just been sprayed for bugs, so the windows were open to ventilate it.  The mother went into her bedroom and her 16 month old son, Matthew, followed closely behind.  She retrieved something from the room, glancing out the open window at the concrete below.  She then walked out, urging the toddler to follow her.  After taking a couple steps outside the bedroom, she heard a sound and turned around.  Seeing the little boy had not followed, she went back inside to find him.  When he was nowhere in sight, she rushed to the window and looking out, saw his tiny form lying on the windshield of a truck below.  She screamed to her husband who hurried to find her.  Looking through the window, they saw him moving and rushed down to help him.  The baby only had two small cuts on his face, but other than that was perfectly fine.

That in itself is a touching story, but later that day, the young mother was talking to her grandmother about the incident.  The grandmother's eyes filled with tears as she said, "I didn't know why, but when I was in the temple this morning, I put Matthew's name on the prayer roll."

Is it a coincidence that a truck that was not there moments before appeared at just the right time? 

Or that a loving grandmother was inspired to leave Matthew's name on the prayer role in the temple?

I don't think so.

This week we had a young friend die from the Swine Flu.  Dennis was a healthy young man in his early 20's.  I cannot say that I understand why Matthew's life was spared, yet Dennis's was not.  What I do know is that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father.  He is ever present in our lives and is aware of our struggles and heartache as well as our triumphs and joys.  The holiday season is the perfect time to turn our lives over to Him, knowing that if we live as He wants us to, whether our lives are spared or taken, we will ultimately be happy.

Take a moment today to hug those you love, and remember that among the hustle and bustle of last minute holiday preparations, the people and relationships in your life are the most important thing.