Many times when we use the phrase, "the Priesthood in the home" it sounds like it's referring to having a "male" in the home. At least it's sounded that way to me. However, after last night, I don't believe it's referring to having a male in the home at all. The male may be the one who gets to wield it, but the priesthood is very separate from him. True, he has to be worthy and have faith to exercise it, but the power itself does not in any way emanate from him.
Last night our son woke up at 3:00 with a burning fever. It was bad enough that I was worried. However, after giving him a blessing a few minutes after I woke up, we laid him back down to bed. One hour later at 4:30, the fever had broken and he wasn't nearly as warm.
Interestingly, right after the blessing, I kept on praying because I didn't think I did well with the blessing. I blessed him to sleep and for his body to do better, but after thinking about it a little more, I thought I should have blessed him to be healed. So I prayed for a while asking God to heal him anyway.
And, as I stated, the end result was pretty good. He isn't perfect today, but he's feeling pretty well.
I appreciate that we can give blessings at any time, day or night, to bless our children. I can't describe how helpful it is. I also am beginning to understand why people say, "make sure to visit the single sisters and be good home teachers because they don't have the priesthood in their home." It's true. That is too bad because it blesses our life considerably.
And as I said earlier today, it's not that it's a blessing that "I" am in the home because I control the priesthood no more than any other person, male or female. I'm just blessed to hopeful be able to ask God to use it for me when I invoke that authority.
Sleep well.
