Talking with Heavenly Father

By Jill Campbell

“Can we visit Heavenly Father?” Tara asked Dad as she got ready for bed.

“Probably not for a long time,” Dad answered.

“Last summer we flew on an airplane to visit Grandma Hill. We could fly on an airplane,” Tara said.

“We can’t get there on an airplane,” Dad said.

“At Christmas, we went by train to see Grandpa and Grandma Flowers. Maybe we could go by train,” Tara said hopefully.

“I’m afraid a train can’t take us there, either,” Dad said.

“Sometimes we drive in our car to visit friends,” Tara told father. “Let’s go by car. Or, I know, we can go by boat.” Tara was remembering the boat ride they had taken across the river.

“I’m sorry,” Dad said. “Not even a car or a boat can take us to Heavenly Father.”

Tara felt sad. She wanted to visit Heavenly Father. Daddy pulled her onto his lap and kissed her forehead. “We can’t visit Heavenly Father, but you can talk to him,” Dad said.

“You mean I can call him on the telephone or send him a letter?”

“No, but there’s something else you can do. Think about it.”

As she got ready for bed, Tara wondered how she could talk to Heavenly Father. She still couldn’t figure out what Dad had meant.

When Dad came into her room to listen to her say her prayers, she knelt, then jumped up and hugged Dad. “I know—I can talk to Heavenly Father by saying my prayers!”

“That’s right,” Dad said, hugging her. “And he will always listen.”

Illustrated by Julie F. Young