The Big Picture

On more than one occasion, I can remember sitting in the unusually pink Relief Society room of the Ashton Stake Center listening to my Dad teach a Gospel Doctrine class.  Quite vividly, I can recall him saying these words several times, "You have got to remember to always look at the Big Picture." 
As a mother of 5 very small children (I have to keep reminding myself that they are small), who SAYS and DOES the exact same things every single day, the big picture sometimes gets lost in a sea of laundry, reminders, oven timers, and "please do's."  When that happens, my attitude goes from good to, let's just say unpleasant.  And let's just say (pretend if you have to), that yesterday was and UNPLEASANT day. 
It started and ended something like this, "Yes, you have to read your scriptures, Have you SAID your prayers,  Did you say your prayers, PLEASE go and say your Prayers, Did you read the instructions before you started, It is time to set the table, It is STILL time to set the table, Have I taught you any manners at all, Please come read scriptures (5x's a little louder each time), Did you brush your teeth, Believe me when I say that I KNOW you have not brushed your teeth."  I tell Jared that I am the WAL*MART INTERCOM.  Everyone knows that it is on, but nobody can tell you what it said. 
Several weeks ago I had had several of these days in a row, and in the midst of my desperation, I believe that I received a small (huge to me) tender mercy from the Lord.  I had a dream.  In my dream I saw a young man.  At first glance, I thought that it was Travis Rust (one of many good good kids from our ward that my kids idolize), but when I investigated further, it was Sam.  For some reason, I knew that he had just returned from a mission.  He was TALL, HANDSOME, RESPECTABLE, and just GOOD through and through.  In my dream, he began to talk.  He looked at me and said the word, MOM.  I began to cry.
I woke up the next morning, recorded my dream, and said to myself, "if that is the end result...I can do this!" 

 The Lord has said, “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33).