"Go sweep the front porch..."

So grateful for the still, small voice.

So grateful the Lord allowed us the chance to listen rather than directly endure the trial (as is sometimes the case)

 

The last weekend in June I was hired for a photo-shoot in Southern Utah and decided since that's my home, we'd just make a family weekend out of it and go spend it with my mom and grandma GG. As it got closer I got the thought that I wasn't going to be able to go down, something was going to get in the way. The more I prepared throughout the week the more I felt the feeling. A conversation with my mom literally went through my mind of me telling her we couldn't come because one of our kids in the hospital... whoa! I thought, where did that thought come from? I literally shook my head and thought, that's morbid. I tried to shake the feeling and that conversation.

Its soooo hard to explain. It wasn't necessarily this blunt prompting smashing down on me but rather a warning, an itch in the back of my neck that wouldn't go away.

 

As the week progressed the feeling stuck with me. Every single time I prepared or talked about going down south, I would get the impression I wasn't going to be able go, one of my children would be in the hospital. I would literally hear the words of myself talking to my mom telling her. I felt the hospital walls around me. I would tell myself  "STOP Lacey! don't be weird!"

 

However many times I convinced myself it was crazy, as a mother I couldn't completely block it out so I begun to be a tad more protective. I assumed if anything was to happen it would be Shay. She's learning how to walk, doesn't know how to do stairs, is eating anything she can get in her mouth, etc. So my distance between me and Shay became less and I was finding myself next to her at all times. I felt better if she was in my sights.

We went to 7 peaks the Wednesday before we left and as we were walking in I thought "WATER! accidents could happen here"  So I stayed off my phone and had my eyes on them at all times. I felt my senses heightened. Our time there came to an end. Nothing.

 

We got home from 7 peaks and Seth had to do some work at the shop so I took the kids home and started to get the last minute laundry and packing done. It was HOT and there was still so much to do. There was a lot going on.

 

Mason went outside to play while Aiden and Shay took a nap. Around 3 or 4 Aiden and Shay woke up and Aiden asked to go outside to ride bikes. This summer they have finally gotten old enough where I don't have to be constantly next to them outside. I can watch them through the window and check on them every ten minutes. They know to stay in our yard and we park our van at the end of our driveway so they can't ride the bikes into the street. Shay wanted to watch them out the side door so I thought, that's near the stairs.. that's where she could fall... put up the baby gate... So I did... so tight I nearly broke it.

 

A few minutes later I hear Shay screaming.  I ran to find her. Somehow the screen door became unlocked and Aiden opened it which allowed shay to fall face first out the door on concrete. I picked her up and she stopped crying with in seconds... She's fine. Okay. okay. We're all okay. That wasn't it my heart felt.

 

At that point I got back to getting things packed when sometime later Seth came home from the shop. Then commented on how hot it was so he needed to go back out and get his laptop out of the car. The next thing I hear is "Lace, you need to get Aiden some water!" I walked towards the kitchen to see Aiden in front of me completely RED and DRENCHED in sweat. It was as if he was stepped out of a bath, his hair was soaked and his cheeks were deep red with beats of sweat bubbled up on his little nose.

 

My first thought was WHOA, he's playing hard. Then still that amount of sweat and redness didn't add up. I looked up at Seth confused when he said

 

 "I found him stuck in the bike trailer, out in the shed."

 

My heart literally erupted.

 

I felt hot tears sting my eyes and my throat swelled.  

 

That was it.

 

Aiden.

 

Not shay.

 

My heart stopped.

 

In that moment before anything was said, before I knew the details, I felt the gravity of what had just happened and what almost happened. Right then I felt like we missed what my warning was preparing me for. Like it was supposed to happened but didn't.

 

I franticly started asking questions.

What?

The Shed?

HOW DID YOU FIND HIM?

 

Seth explained that on his was back into the house with his laptop he felt the thought as clear as day "Go sweep the front porch"

 

I stopped him right there.. "sweep the porch?"

At this point I was bawling holding Aiden

My husband does not sweep. Not even when I ask. Not even when I ask twice!

 

He said he didn't hesitate.  He just put his laptop inside the door and went to the shed to get the broom. He walked in the shed and heard a very weak....

 

"Daddy"

 

He turned around to find Aiden sitting in the bike trailer with the enclosure zipped up and stuck inside.

He had crawled in, zipped it up and for some reason couldn't get the zipper undone.

It was 101 outside

He was inside a shed

enclosed in a bike trailer

 

Instantly I saw so many things line up for this moment

 

In spring we did a lot of work to our front yard, cleared out a ton of stuff, got new bark, etc.

Mason likes to look for rollie pollies daily and he'll dig holes in my flower beds on the front bath and push all my new bark onto the sidewalk.

Drives me NUTS!

After getting after him several times I realized it's just a kid thing and to simply sweep it up after he's done.

So that's what I did. Daily.

I'm so OCD I couldn't handle my front walkway that was now looking good after hard work, look all messy.

So everyday when I got the mail I'd sweep the bark back onto the flower beds.

Earlier this week I had missed a day. Every time I drove into the driveway or looked out the front window I would think "ah! go sweep the walkway!"

However as soon as it would come into my mind the thought would disappear.

So not like me.

 

That day it had caught my eye again while getting ready for the trip I thought to myself

"good grief! why do I keep forgetting to sweep that dang pathway. Make sure to remember to do that before we leave, it looks tacky!" 

 

It needed to be messy

Seth needed that prompting

He needed to go in the shed on that day

 

I can not tell you the emotion I felt run through me

I then shared with Seth my feelings that I had been having all week and the warnings I felt.

I saw his eyes widen and even water

 

As we talked about it and I tried to calm down I had such an immense feeling of gratitude. My gut told me in that moment when I saw Aiden and even my warnings led me to be believe that it could have gone the other way, all to easily. It wouldn't have taken me very long to realize he was gone but how long would it have taken me to look in that spot? I would have naturally thought being outside in front someone had taken him. Seth and I shuttered as we thought of how long we would have tried that avenue before looking so close to home.  

 

It was such an intense feeling that we just nearly missed this being a tearful reunion. My heart quietly felt that Seth was given a window of opportunity to feel and act on the still small voice. I had zero thoughts of Aiden or urgency to check on him. But Seth came home and was given the chance to listen, to stop and heed the still small voice. Sometimes trials are just trials with no chance of deviation. We've experienced those ourselves. This I feel like could have been that.

 

I am beyond grateful that Seth listened

That the Lord allowed us the chance to have another ending to that day

I'm so grateful for a husband who listened, when he so easily could have kept walking in the house, and dismissed the chance to sweep!

 

I am so grateful.

 

so

 

so

 

so

 

grateful.

 

We got him inside, gave him tons water, popsicles and smothered with hugs. He cooled off and soon resumed his playing activity like nothing ever happened.

 

Sometimes the Lords Tender Mercy's are outright miracle's

 

I adore my Aiden.

 

My life would not be the same without his sweet smile and I love you's every morning.

I could not be more grateful the Lord agrees.