Dad, do you know what my most favorite food is?

Tonight was my "date night" with Taft, my third son (who is currently 4 yrs. old).  He wanted to go to McDonald's, so despite my pleas to go somewhere else, that is where we had dinner.  As we sat at a table enjoying each others company, Taft looked up from his chicken nuggets and said, "Dad, do you know what my most favorite food is?"  Expecting that it would have something to do with the McDonald's food he was eating, but going along with the game I told him I didn't know and asked what it was.  He responded, "Dad, you know what it is!"  I told him no, I really didn't know.  He then informed me that his favorite food was the fruit from The Tree of Life, because it was better than any other fruit!

I don't know that there are many comments that could make a dad happier!  We had discussed Nephi and Lehi's visions of the Tree of Life a couple months ago in scripture studies and talked about how the fruit was sweeter than anything else.  I was grateful to hear that something had stuck with him.  I want him to read this 10 or 15 years from now, remember what he knew then, and be able to say the same thing...but this time with the deeper understanding of what that fruit really is...the Love of God...or in other words, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (see John 3:16).

When he reads this I want him to remember that he has already identified spiritual experiences and ways that he knows that God is real, as have his older brothers.  Those experiences were real and not something that I conjured up on their behalf.  These experiences leave an undeniable witness for me that God is real and loves us as His children and that the Savior lives and loves us and is involved with the details of our lives, helping us every step of the way.  I have felt that love and that help in real, tangible ways that are unmistakable and undeniable.

Tonight as I came down to my desk to write this post, Trenton and Trey were in playing and joking and giggling with each other (when they were supposed to be asleep).  It brought joy to my heart to hear them enjoying each others company and I hope that they will continue to do that for the rest of their lives and beyond, and remember the joys that come through our families.  These joys in family life are one of the simplest but most powerful ways that we experience the fruit of the tree of life (the Love of God).