I Knew I Shouldn’t Go

My husband and I had just joined the Church and were learning about the promptings of the Spirit when an incident occurred that taught us a personal lesson about that principle.

We had just moved to a dairy farm, and our working hours were very long. Money was scarce, so we could not even consider hiring help. My husband and I worked side by side for hours.

Four months after we moved to the farm, our third daughter, Jenny, was born. Each night I put Jenny to bed, waited until she fell asleep, and then took my two older daughters out with me to the barn to do the evening chores. My husband would already be in the barn doing the milking.

One night I told my husband that I had a feeling I shouldn’t go to the barn. I didn’t really know why, but I just knew I should not go. I stayed in the house, put Jenny to bed, and started doing some housework. Moments later, I was startled by a loud scream and some muffled noises coming from upstairs. I raced up to Jenny’s room. Somehow, she had managed to wiggle her little body, except for her head, through the crib bars and was hanging from her bed choking.

I trembled as I struggled to get her body loose. Then I held her for a long time.

I will never forget the terror I felt that night, but I will always be thankful for the spiritual awareness that was awakened in me. My daughter’s life was saved because I heeded the promptings of the Spirit.