This has been in my drafts box for a long time. I think it is finally time for me to finish it up and get it posted.
Right before Christmas my to do list was a mile long. I was weighed down and feeling so stretched. All of it was good things. . . gifts for neighbors, service projects, cooking and cleaning for company, planning and preparing memorable Christmas traditions etc. Amidst all those consuming things, I snuck off to the temple. Admittedly my mind had not entirely left my to do list at home. As I sat waiting I was reading in Alma and came across a scripture mastery verse, so the verse was familiar. . . in fact I could quote it. However, the impact it had on me at that time was different than ever before. The verse was Alma 34:32: "For this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." The next verse talks about repentance and so I've always associated this verse with not procrastinating repentance. But the direction my mind was taken that day was 'with all of these lists and preparations you are making for Christmas, what preparations are you making to meet God? Doesn't that preparation deserve to be on your to do list?' Gulp. I hadn't specifically been planning for that. Obliquely, of course, I planned on meeting God, but not in a way that it ever made appearance on my to do list. I was quickly humbled.
So what would 'preparing to meet God' look like on a to do list? Surely, things as prayers and scriptures have a place on such a list, however since those are pretty standard in my life, I feel the need to search deeper for *exact* things that I need to do. In a footnote from my favorite talk (Elder Christopherson's) this past conference it says "When we truly understand, we seek more commandments, not fewer. Each new law or commandment we learn and live is like one more rung or step on a ladder that enables us to climb higher and higher." This seems to be where Heavenly Father is gently prodding me to go. I've had a lot of thoughts floating through my head lately as to ways to improve weak areas of my life. Some of them seem painful because they require change and a time commitment. (After all, I've got a blog to write!) But as I've learned in the past, we are usually much happier when we commit and actually make changes. I need to put a plan into action.
What would you put on your to do list? How would you go about it? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Time to Prepare to Meet God
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3 comments:
Something on my to do list would be to actually listen more for the Spirit to let me know what to pray for and how to spend my time. I know we need to be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and I feel like I try to do good things, but I'm thinking there are people I could be serving by listening more for promptings. I think I'm guilty more of the sins of omission than the sins of comission. Thanks for prompting me to think about how to prepare to meet God--I feel more accountable for what I need to do now that I've typed it out here.
One of the hardest things the Lord has asked of me is to home school my children. It is a huge undertaking that can petrify me when I look at the whole spectrum required to do a good job and my weaknesses and how far this requires me to go--mentally, spiritually, organizationally, etc. But I must look forward in faith because during quiet moments, I feel the Lord calming me by reminding me that He will provide a way if I will be prayerful and move forward in faith.
Debbie, I agree with you on listening to and following the spirit to bless other's lives. That is one thing that is on my list and I've actually got a post coming up about it, maybe next week it will be ready. Check back!
Danna, I remember when I was dating Tom and knowing we should marry but *not* feeling like it was something I could do. (WAY too proud!) But I learned that sanctification occurs as our wills are submitted, and I think that definitely prepares us to be in God's presence. . .unfortunately that usually doesn't come too easily.
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