Today I listened to a talk by Sis. Linda S. Reeves from the April 2014 general conference, Protection from Pornography- a Christ-Focused Home. As I was listening to the following paragraphs, I couldn't help but think, "This is for you!"
She said:
Some of you have heard me tell how
overwhelmed my husband, Mel, and I felt as the parents of four young
children. As we faced the challenges of parenting and keeping up with
the demands of life, we were desperate for help. We prayed and pleaded
to know what to do. The answer that came was clear: “It is OK if the
house is a mess and the children are still in their pajamas and some
responsibilities are left undone. The only things that really need to be
accomplished in the home are daily scripture study and prayer and
weekly family home evening.”
We were
trying to do these things, but they were not always the priority and,
amidst the chaos, were sometimes neglected. We changed our focus and
tried not to worry about the less-important things. Our focus became to
talk, rejoice, preach, and testify of Christ by striving to daily pray
and study the scriptures and have weekly family home evening.
Wow. As a busy mom, her words helped me to feel relief and a peace! I wanted to share what insights I received from her talk...before I forget.
Tiffany,
It is OK you have piles and piles of laundry.
It is OK that your counters and floors never seem to be free of crumbs.
It is OK that the shower never seems to get cleaned.
It is OK if your appliances aren't cleaned on a regular basis.
It is OK to say no to some things.
It is OK that your 'to-do list' each day doesn't get done.
The only things that really matter are daily scripture study, prayers, and weekly family home evenings. Keep your focus on these things. Plan for a time in your day to make these things happen--especially time to plan family home evening.
Stop with the unnecessary guilt. Enjoy this time with your children! You have just been given the "OK" that your house doesn't have to be spotless! (Shoot for healthy enough to not get sick, dirty enough to enjoy life!)
Soak up this time Heavenly Father has given you and Jake to teach your children about Him, our Savior, and the Gospel.
These thoughts made me think of a picture from a family home evening we did a couple of months ago. We talked about a testimony, and what tools we have been given to build and strengthen our own testimonies. I'll be honest, when I first saw the pictures I thought, "Whoa! Look how dirty the doors are. I didn't realize how bad they had gotten." Now, after listening to Sis. Reeves talk, I can look at the picture with a smile on my face and a peace in my heart. A smile for the fingerprints on the door, and my somewhat homely looking children. And a peace knowing that gospel learning was taking place.
Strive for more moments like these! ^^^
