The kids, J.t. and I enjoyed a  wonderful afternoon in Laguna after an unanticipated long 2 and a half hour drive to get there. As we we re walking back to the car Dallin decided to let me have it. I was such a mean mom, he said relentlessly. why? Because I didn’t let him play video games on the ipad on the way to the beach as  a consequence for bad behavior earlier that morning.. I tried to get away from him by walking a little faster as to not hear his long arguments for the truth as to why I am the most horrible parent ever, but his legs were as fast and persistent as his mouth. I was able to walk a little ahead of him and the others trailed further behind. I began to pray in my heart trying to fight back tears. “please Heavenly father help me to be patient and kind.Please help me, this is so hard. I love being a mother  I need strength, please help me. ” Thinking I was alone in my thoughts… I heard a soft, kind voice call out…” are you a mother?” I stopped and looked over at a pretty woman, probably in her fifties, sitting in a grey volvo. “Yes” I smiled as I replied.”And do you have many children?” she asked. I smiled bigger” yes I have four!”.” We want you to know that that is a blessing! and God gave you those four because he knew you could handle it“. I was  a little taken back at this moment and looked to see if the” we” was another person, but all I could see her were her dogs.:)  “Thank you! do you have children”, I asked? “No honey, we are not talking about me right now. This is about you.  We want you to know that you’re an angel and God has a work for you to do with those four”.  I thanked her and walked away and then the children came up the hill behind me and she stopped them.I couldn’t hear what she was saying  so when they got in the car I asked what she had said to them. “She asked us if we knew that our mother was an angel and we told her, yes we did know! then she said that was good and that we should give you a lot of hugs and treat you like an angel today”. As we drove away I rolled down the window to say goodbye and thanked her again. she waved and said “we love you ! ” at first thought, I assumed she may have been a little crazy…:)( but the more I thought about it, the more I smiled and choose to believe that God sent a complete stranger to give me a message, and in that brief encounter I spoke with an angel . I know with  absolute surety that God does hear our prayers whether they are heartfelt pleadings for help ,a question to a difficult challenge, or just the adventure of a typical mundane day. I do not for a second comprehend how He does it, with all the billions of people and worlds without end.  He is God and compared to him I am nothing.  I do not comprehend his greatness or omniscience nor will I ever in this life time. But, what I do know, what I can comprehend, is that everyday I hear him speak to me, everyday I see His hand in my life,  and everyday I feel His love. And if  some plain obscure woman in southern California can know these things, you can too.