The parable of the Legos

This year I have been asked to teach the Youth Sunday School. 12-14 year olds to be specific. If I am being completely honest, I am far less confident in my ability to fulfill this calling than my Bishop is. Hopefully he is right. A big part of the new curriculum this year is to teach like the Savior did. To share and learn the important truths of the Gospel through stories. Which sounds like a great idea. Then I realize that I tell stories for 5 year olds, not pre-teen and teenagers. But last week, I felt like I stumbled upon a pearl of greatness with my Parable of the Legos. And here is how it went.

This Christmas, Sugar and Spice was gifted many, many packages of legos with varying degrees of difficulty. Most he put together with the help of his oldest sister. However, there was one special set (a Ninjago motorcycle set) that he wanted to do all on his own.  It was a really hard one. I offered to help him, to show him the directions and which pieces to use and when, but he insisted time and again that he could "do it on my own, mama." And so I let him. I bet you can guess the result. 30 minutes later he came to me in tears. He had come to a part that he couldn't do because he had made a mistake earlier on and now the pieces weren't fitting together. He needed my help and I was happy to give it to him. It struck me how similar this was to times in our life when we really need the help of our Heavenly Father. Instead, in our stubbornness we say, "no, I got this, I can do it on my own" only before we know it we have strayed too far from the directions and suddenly we realize that we really can't do it on our own. That we do need his help and his direction to get to where we really want to be. And  just as soon as we ask, he is there again to help guide and support us as we find our way back.

The lesson was a nice way to show the students how important both agency and looking to the direction of Heavenly Father are. We are blessed with our agency, our ability to choose for ourselves. However, we are even more infinitely blessed with a Heavenly Father that gives us the tools to make the best decisions that will further bless our lives. 

It sounds so great here on "paper". Hopefully it was as meaningful for the students as it was for me. :)