Ten-year-old Libby hugged her father’s neck as he carried her in the house from the car. “Can you put the hospital bed next to the window, so I can watch my friends playing?” she whispered in his ear.

“Anything you want, Princess,” he whispered back.

Libby sat in the rented hospital bed as her father pushed the buttons. “There, that’s just the right angle. Now I can see clear down the street,” Libby said, “Look there’s Tia!”

“Mother, may I take three baby steps?” called Tia.

“Yes, you may,” answered Emma.

Tia looked down at her feet as she carefully took three tiny steps. When she looked up she caught a glimpse of Libby at the window. Tia had an idea. When it was her turn again, she asked, “Mother, may I take fifty steps?”

Emma looked puzzled. “Fifty steps? That would put you clear across the street!” she exclaimed.

Tia nodded towards the window where Libby lay watching. Emma turned to see what she was looking at and smiled. “Yes, you may!” she answered.

Tia crossed the street as she counted out loud, “one, two, three…forty-eight, forty-nine.” At the count of fifty, she rang the door bell. Mrs. Langdon looked surprised when she opened the door.

“I saw Libby in the window. When did she get home?” Tia excitedly whispered. “Can I visit with her?”

Mrs. Langdon looked worried, but then smiled and opened the door for Tia. “We just got home yesterday. You can visit, but just for a little while. She’s still a very sick little girl,” she said as she lead the way to Libby’s bedroom.

Libby’s pale face brightened at the sight of her friend. “Oh, Tia, I’ve missed you so much!”

Tia gave her friend a gentle hug. “I’ve missed you too! How are you feeling?”

“Better now that you’re here!” Libby laughed.

The two girls talked and giggled for what seemed an awfully short time, when Mother entered the room.

That night, Tia said her prayers and asked Heavenly Father what she could do for Libby. The next morning Tia was so excited that she couldn’t wait to see Libby. Right after breakfast she ran over to give Libby the good news.

“Your dad needs to give you a priesthood blessing. I prayed for you and He answered,” Tia announced.

Libby’s eyes lit up. “You mean a healing blessing, like Jesus gave, when He was here?” Libby asked.

When Libby asked Father to give her a blessing, tears welled up in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Libby, but I can’t,” he said apologetically. “I’m working on it, but I don’t have the Melchizedek Priesthood, yet.”

Libby hugged her Father tightly and whispered in his ear, “It’s okay, Dad! You can give me a blessing when you do get the priesthood!”

Tears streamed down Father’s face as he said a silent prayer. “Please, Heavenly Father, let Libby live, so that I will be able to give her a priesthood blessing.”

That night, Tia was in tears as she talked to her father and told him how she had prayed for Libby and she thought the Holy Ghost had told her that Libby needed a priesthood blessing. “But I was wrong,” she said, “because Libby’s father can’t give her a blessing and it’s just not fair.”

“And a little child shall lead them,” Father quoted, before explaining, “Tia, you prayed, you listened and you did get an answer,” Father said. “Mr. Langdon, is a very good man and I know that he is working hard to become worthy to receive the priesthood. Until then, Heavenly Father still wants Libby to have a priesthood blessing!”

“But, how?”

“You know Heavenly Father loves all His children!”

“Yes!”

“So, He made it possible for every family to be blessed with the priesthood. Bishops, home teachers, priesthood quorum leaders, and even the missionaries are there to bless families who don’t have a priesthood holder in their home,” Father continued.

“So Libby can have a priesthood blessing?” Tia asked.

“You know, the whole ward has felt helpless, since Libby had to be treated out of state. Now that she’s home, and because you listened to the spirit, I promise you, Libby will get a priesthood blessing.”

by Margie Nauta Lee © 2007 Living Scriptures, Inc.