Organize Yourself, Prepare Every Needful Thing

The conversation I had with Tess a while back about what she remembered about Jesus has been at the forefront of my mind lately. The thing she remembered about Jesus was that He organized.

In my pondering it, I have been taught little truths. They merit recording.

1) The scripture "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing" doesn't necessarily mean clean closets! While I think the needful things definitely are scripture study, meaningful prayers and being of service, I've been realizing there is more. Other needful things change with your stage of life. For example, right now it is very important for me to organize myself enough to cook meals the older kids will like and gather around to eat--because we can better nurture with full stomachs and good food generally makes them more teachable. A while ago I had a crazy day and supper time came without me making any plans so I threw together some things I had: rice, squash, bread and a few other things I found in the fridge. Let me tell you there was not much nurturing going on during that meal because the complaints about the food were so prevalent! I learned how important my organization to prepare the evening meal was. However, the evening meal is not the most needful thing for Tess. At her age, she could take it or leave it. Right now she needs one on one imaginative playtime with me. When I organize myself to fit age/stage-fitting nurturing things in, our home is much happier. They are very needful right now.

2) In thinking about these needful things, I've thought of Jesus telling Martha that Mary "hath chosen the good part" (Luke 10:42) when Martha was doing a noble thing: giving service. I've wondered what the balance is in attending to the many 'needful' things. Right now my mind is settling on the idea that if Christ were in my home, I should and need to be attentive to all I could take in from Him. Likewise, if church is in session or if conference is on or there is some other way to nourish my soul that is available at that moment, I need to be very attentive and choose that good part while it is available. If I'm malnourished spiritually, doing other needful things are much more difficult if not impossible. In that way I can chose the good part while still doing things that are needful.

3) How does Heavenly Father "prepare a way for [me that I] may accomplish the thing[s] which he commanded [me]"? He is organized! Because He is organized He is prepared to help me. The way He organizes is through His law. D&C 51:2 "For it must needs be that they be organized according to my laws" Then verse 15 says: "And thus I grant unto this people a privilege of organizing themselves according to my laws." To organize ourselves according to the law we must do those needful things: obey the commandments, nourish our spirits and nourish those around us. Not only is that is a privilege, but it is how we qualify ourselves for Heaven's help --and what we will receive are the preparations Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have organized to help us succeed (which happens to be the law since every blessing under heaven is predicated by obedience). I feel like I'm spinning circles on this, but they are all related and I need to learn to organize my time, resources, thoughts etc. so that I can learn the perfect pattern already set out: an organized law and plan.

4) From Julie Beck: Mothers who know are nurturers. This is their special assignment and role under the plan of happiness.To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. Therefore, mothers who know create a climate for spiritual and temporal growth in their homes. . . . Growth happens best in a “house of order,” and women should pattern their homes after the Lord’s house. Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on women.

5) When we organize ourselves so we can prepare every needful thing, we qualify ourselves to partake of Heaven's organization--which eventually will be eternal life.

The more I think about it, Tess was amazingly 100% right in remembering that Jesus organized.