Do Something Today

Sunday January 12^th 2014

Today in church I had a few realizations. As I was taking the sacrament and praying I realized that I had not remembered to pray for days. I had made sure to read some scriptures each day, and I keep the Ensign in the downstairs bathroom now to get reading done, but praying hadn't happened. It is scary how easily that can happen. Days can pass of me doing nothing but sleeping and watching Dancing With the Stars while Ken and I are in the midst of financial turmoil and he is sinking into depression, and when we need God more than anything I am straight up forgetting to pray. That is why the Sunday school answers are so important. Not just because each activity matters, but because doing one thing can remind you to do the others. For example, going to church reminded me that I had wasn't praying. Praying can remind you to read your scriptures, etc. God has given us safeguards with daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly tasks, and I really noticed and appreciated that today.

Daily – Read Scriptures, Pray

Weekly – Go to church (attend all meetings), church callings, Sabbath Day Holy

Monthly – Attend the temple, home/visiting teaching (both to give and receive), fast offering, Fast

Yearly – Tithing settlement, General Conference (twice),

Occasional-Live ordinances for family members, temple dedications, firesides, devotionals

This isn't all I am sure. He gives these things not to burden us, but to keep us free. It is Satan that binds us. That takes away our agency and makes us miserable. God provides all of these things as continuous opportunities to repent and come unto him and be made free and whole once again. Satan is relentless and it is so easy to get bogged down by him. Not even necessarily bad things, he can just bog us down with nothingness and keep us from the good. 3 days of Dancing With the Stars and no meaningful scripture study or prayer. If he can just keep us from good he still wins even when we aren't doing bad things. Sunday school was another reminder that hit home. The teacher told about a plant in his office that wasn't being watered. He was hurting the plant or actively destroying it, but by neglecting it and letting it sit the plant began to die. It's not enough to not do bad, you must be anxiously engaged in a good cause. The same is true of a marriage that needs nourishment and love to keep growing. You don't have to be fighting or have a toxic home for a marriage to die. You just have to stop doing good things. Stop holding hands, stop saying I love, don't go on dates or serve each other until it eventually dies. Things in this life don't tend to stay still. If you aren't moving forward you are sliding ever so subtly back.

I watched a great video on LDS.org about “Give us this day our daily bread.” The most important battle you are fighting is right now. What are you doing with today? Satan is so clever getting us to focus on the past or future. I was good yesterday so I can be lax today, or I will be lax today, but I'm going to do better tomorrow. If he can only get us to delay good. It's so very easy to give in to that thinking. A much stronger argument is to reverse that thinking. Maybe I messed up yesterday, and maybe I'll mess up tomorrow, but today, right now, I am going to make the right choice. I am going to win this battle. The video pointed out that this is how Christ helps us, and all he expects of us. He doesn't ask us to be perfect right now. He works with us one day at a time to become just a little better slowly working towards perfection. You see, good things are built just as subtly as they are destroyed. Going back to the marriage example. Saying I love you each day, a small act of service or kindness. Each day doesn't need to be a grand romantic gesture to wake up next to your spouse 6 years later and realize you love him even more now than you did when you married him. In the same way as some people who have neglected their love wake up to find they are no longer in love. Everything is done by small actions one day at a time so the most important thing is to do something NOW!

Also true of goals. Ken wanted me to work towards something, but I didn't know what. He got me a microphone and I realized if I recorded or researched or wrote something every day then at the end of the year I would have an entire library of personal works and a wealth of knowledge and information on my subject. On the other hand I could watch one more TV show and be nowhere in a year. Just watching a different show. By small and simple means are great things brought to pass.

I pray that I can remember this and incorporate it into each day of my life. Do SOMETHING to build my testimony, my marriage, my children, and my career (or hobby rather). And most definitely don't forget to pray.