You get the drift. And so did we, when the next wild Wyoming wind came up two minutes later and reminded me that we would be out there raking again sooner than I cared think about.
I began pondering all the things in life that we do, and then have to re-do. And re-do.
Make beds. Wash dishes. Vacuum floors. Fix meals. Get dressed. Go to work. Rake leaves.
My kids used to argue the ridiculousness of making their beds every morning. After all, the same beds would just get unmade that night when they crawled back into them. In a way, they had a point, and I'm not talking about the ones on the tops of their little Mormon heads. Bed-making in and of itself is a rather futile exercise.
What then is the value of repeating such mundane behaviors? I think it lies in what that repetition helps us become:
Responsible.
Dependable.
Tidy.
Organized.
Patient.
Disciplined.
It then follows that the repetition of much more meaningful things--prayer, scripture study, repentance--helps us become something even greater:
Meek.
Humble.
Full of love.
Submissive to God.
Christ-like.
In the words of Mormon Apostle Dallin H. Oaks,
"The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."
Practice makes permanent.
2 comments:
I loved the simple truth of this post. Thanks for all of the great, thought provoking posts!
I am SO glad and thankful you are back to blogging. I love to read your insights and wisdom about the gospel and it's principles. Thank you for your blog about the Hymns, I too have a love for our hymns and the power they carry within them of truth and inspiration.
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