Youth Center at the Temple

I am a volunteer at the Youth Center one Saturday a month so I help watch the children who are to be sealed to their parents while the parents are receiving their endowment, getting sealed to each other, and then we bring the children up to get sealed to their parents.  It is such a sweet and special opportunity, especially since I am a self-labelled "spiritual floater" - being unmarried and the only member in my family, I am sealed to nobody.  So, it is always a nice reminder to be able to witness this most sacred experience in people's lives.  I have even had the most blessed opportunity to kneel at the alter with a family and place their little baby's hand on theirs as they get sealed.  Yes, sometimes we get babies that will not stop crying because we are not their mom, kids with autism who start randomly screaming, or 3 sisters to watch 18 rambunctious kids.  However, I have also played monopoly at the temple (yes, money changing), played race cars, and have even done ballet.  Today was one of those days where all of the children were just so sweet tempered, and really understood the importance of this event.  We always give them a lesson beforehand preparing them for what they will experience.  I was processing one child's sealing with him today afterwards, and he said, "She said I was going to feel a special feeling in the sealing room, and I did have that feeling."  Another time, I remember a boy said, "Finally!"  Today, all of the boys were so excited to serve missions later (one even said "that would be sooo cool to go to Utah!" - what a great attitude to have!).  Maybe it is just astounding to me because I have always been in YSA wards where I really don't have any interaction with the primary, Young Women's, or Young Men's. 

So, before I get off my soapbox, I just want to share one of my most favorite experiences in the temple.  I was asked to come in on a Friday off from work.  This white couple comes in with a white 10 year old boy and a black 6 month old, so I just assumed automatically that the 6-month old was adopted and getting sealed and the 10 year old was there to witness it.  Turns out I was wrong!  The black child had previously been sealed, and it was the 10-year-old's turn this time around.  And (as you might guess by my level of excitement) they had adopted these children from foster care!  So, whatever this 10-year-old had been through to get him in foster care, not back to his parents, and not left with family members... it all didn't matter now because he had his REAL forever family.  I could tell that this child was an old soul - unfortunately he had probably experienced more than he should have - but this maturity really helped him to understand spiritual principles despite not being raised with them his whole life.  You can tell that he cherished the gospel, and GOT how sacred the temple was.  What I appreciated even more is that these parents did not hesitate to take him to the temple and make him theirs forever - his adoption had only been finalized earlier that day (which was why this was not the typical Saturday). 

Anyway, this was a random post but I had such a fabulous time at the temple today that I wanted to share.  And yes, I am a wuss, I cry almost nearly every time.  Even when they are in Spanish and I don't understand.