The Spirit's Signal

      Mom and the kids had spent an enjoyable afternoon at Grandma's house with the cousins. They'd played downstairs, colored, and ran around playing games outside as well. It was just one of those perfect summer days of fun and relaxation, for the kids and the adults.

     Towards evening meal time four year old Joseph came into the house and quietly went to the toy drawer and began playing with the toy cars. Mom watched him for a few minutes as she visited with Joseph's Grandma and Aunts. Something didn't seem quite right. She quietly excused herself and walked over and sat by Joseph as he played with the cars.

     "How come you aren't out playing with the other kids?"

     Without looking up he just shrugged his shoulders and held tightly to the car in  his hand.

     "Were the others mean to you?"

     He shook his head, but still wouldn't look up.

     She put her arms around him and pulled him onto her lap. "Did someone hurt you?"

     He finally looked up at her with his big brown eyes filled with tears and whispered, "My tummy hurts."

     "Do you feel sick?"

     He shook his head. "It just hurts."

     "You've been fine all day. When did it start to hurt?"

     He hung his head again and the tears splashed onto Mom's arms. She held him close until the tears slowed and then he mumbled something into her shoulder.

     She lifted his head gently and said, "I can't hear you when you talk to my shoulder. What happened?"

     He took a deep breath and said, "Terence and I were playing and he said some bad words. I didn't like it and it made my stomach hurt so I came in here to play."

     Mom snuggled him closely again and let a few of her own tears fall as she contemplated the situation. Finally she said, "I'm sorry you have a tummy ache. And I'm sorry that Terrence used those bad words, but I am grateful for it also. Sometimes we get these feelings because the Holy Ghost is telling us what is right and wrong. You sometimes feel it in your heart and sometimes your head tells you. You have a tummy that is in tune with Heavenly Father. When you heard something you knew wasn't right it made your tummy hurt. You should be grateful that Heavenly Father wants to protect you so strongly that you couldn't miss the feeling the Holy Ghost sent to you. Do you understand that?"

     Joseph looked up at her with a furrowed brow. "So whenever I get that funny icky feeling in my tummy it could be the Holy Ghost telling me that something is not right?"

     "Yes, dear, maybe that is his best way to get your attention. Everyone gets signals from him that they can understand."

     Joseph took another deep breath and snuggled closer to Mom. "So whenever I get a tummy ache it's a signal from the Holy Ghost."

     "No, dear, sometimes it means you are getting sick, but that will feel different. Think about how your tummy felt when Terrence used those words. When you feel that same feeling, if you think about it a minute, I am sure you will feel it in your heart as well."

     "Yes, my heart, my head, and my tummy all felt bad."

     "And that's Heavenly Father's way of protecting you. If you will remember this experience it can help you the rest of your life to recognize the signals of the Holy Ghost trying to keep you away from bad things." She hugged him tight. "Do you think you can do that?"

     He smiled up at her and nodded. "And now I'm going to go tell Terrence that he shouldn't use those bad words because the Holy Gjost doesn't like them." He put the cars in the toy drawer and hurried away.

     Mom smiled as she watched him leave, grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who created stomachs that could feel.