Strength

 May 1st was our Stake's Day of Service.  The youth were asked to meet at a nearby nature preserve near the Yakima River known as Chamna.  As soon as I heard where it was going to be held, I felt a jolt of nerves and knew my Brennon felt it, too.  The last time Brennon went to Chamna with his Deacon's quorum, we found something like 12 ticks on him.  When he got home, he asked me to check him.  While standing on our back patio, arms raised, shirt off, his entire body shook as if with seizure, he was so filled with adrenaline.  Brennon does not like bugs.  Brennon does not like Chamna.

For days leading up to the activity, Brennon would tell Tyson about his fears of going back each night before bed.  Tyson, realizing just how nervous Brennon truly was, told me first thing when I woke up one morning.

"Mom, Brennon is really struggling thinking about going to Chamna.  He's told me every night for the last few nights."

You know, there is one thing that I really admire about Brennon.  He's always had this quality.

He was going to go to that activity because he is currently the Deacon's quorum President.  He wanted to do his duty to lead.  He hated it with everything in him, dreaded it with something akin to PTSD, but he never once asked us not to go.  He was fully intending to go.  He does things because they are right, not because they are easy.

But I knew that he'd suffer with nerves the entire time.  His intent in the face of his fears was enough for me, as I am sure it was to his Heavenly Father.  While Shelby and Tyson were laying down bark chips on the paths down by the river, Brennon was using his muscle to help Randy move a brother out of his home.  There weren't many men to help, and some may look at my skinny Brennon and not think him balanced muscle compared to a full-grown man, but what Brennon lacks in actual muscle, he makes up for in his mental strength.  He is determined to do his best, no matter the challenges that lay in front of him.

I love my strong, determined, valiant Brennon.