2017
Prayer at the Start Gate
December 2017


“Prayer at the Start Gate,” Friend, December 2017

Prayer at the Start Gate

Prayer at the Start Gate

Illustration by Kory Heinzen

It was a cold day, and I was scared. I shook hard in my speed suit. It was my first ski race since I had been injured. The course was a long blur of blue and red gates. My coach skied by me.

“Noah, are you OK?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said, but I was actually scared out of my skin!

It was time for me to be at the start gate. Oh no! I thought as I skied down to the start gate. But then I remembered something I had learned in Primary: I can pray anytime, anywhere.

So I prayed, Heavenly Father, please help me to be safe and do well. Right then, I pushed out of the start.

What came next was natural instinct. Left, then right, gate after gate, for what felt like days until I finally crossed the finish line. Boy, I was slow! I thought. But I looked at the timer. I was 12th in my category!

“That was so good!” Mom said.

During the excitement, I silently thanked my Heavenly Father for answering my prayer.