I was having a great day, house was in control, my boys were up and dressed, we had all had a healthy breakfast when the phone rang. It was a sister that I Visit Teach, she was having a very rough day. I offered to watch her children while she went to the temple and took some time to take care of herself. After I got off the phone with her, I went to say a quick prayer that she would find the peace of mind and body she was seeking. I received the impression that I should make dinner for her family. So I got out 2 crock pots and made dinner for my family in one and hers in the other. I thought while I was at it, I could make sandwiches and cut up some fruit for all of us for lunch as it was apt to get a bit chaotic with 5 children under the age of five, including one infant.
I felt a bit overwhelmed by the daunting task of entertaining 5 young children for several hours but I knew that it would be okay. When she arrived with her children in tow, we visited and she gave me special instructions for her littlest one and then quite out of the blue she accused me of being “superwoman”. I know in my brain that this was just her way of expressing her feelings of being overwhelmed and inadequate but it struck me like a physical blow. And suddenly all that I had done, needed to do and was trying to do felt so much weightier. It took me some time after she had left to let go of the feeling of weight on my shoulders and put my concerns back in the hands of my Savior. Later that night I was reading further in the book Glimpses into the life of Marjorie Pay Hinkley and found the following quotes which really helped me to put it all back into perspective for me.
President Spencer W. Kimball said, “We are not asking for something spectacular, but rather for the women of the Church to find real self-fulfillment in the pursuit of righteousness in worthy endeavors.” (As quoted by Marjorie Pay Hinkley, pp 202 Glimpses into the life of Marjorie Pay Hinkley)
A quote from Brigham Young, “Daily toil, however humble, is our daily duty and by doing it well we make it part of our daily worship.” And, I might add, part of our faith. (As quoted by Marjorie Pay Hinkley, pp 202 Glimpses into the life of Marjorie Pay Hinkley)
5 comments:
Something I learned in my time as a teacher, is that even Prophet's do not feel upto the task presented to them. We see them as strong in the spirit, and confident, but as I researched how several prophets grew up, and how overwhelmed and unworthy even they felt upon being called to their many callings along the way, including to become a prophet, it was a reminder that none of us are perfect, and God is not looking for perfect people, just those that will do their best. This blog made me think of that again :)
What a very honest, sweet post. You listened to the spirit and you did what it told you to do. You knew you could do it, not because you are super woman as your friend said, but because you are a daughter of God, and you listened to Him.
Thank you for writing about that :) I think you have great insite and I get it now...I just started following your blog. I am just starting to find myself in this world and in the church. I will be reading more often.
Jill,
Thanks for your comments. I don't often comment on your blog but I read it multiple times a week.
Danica. . .I'm glad you understood the post. I was hoping that I wouldn't offend anyone. I think we are all on that journey of finding ourselves both in the world and the gospel. I look forward to your insights.
Mr. DJ Man you know that I love you and I love that you take the time out of your busy day to comment on my blog. It really means a lot to me. Thanks. XOXO
I think one of the hardest things we learn in this life is understanding that we can't do everything - we really aren't Superwomen! All we can do is the best we can with the time and resources that we have available and rely upon the Lord to help us make up the rest. I appreciate this post and your example of faith in the Lord and knowledge of your relationship with Him.
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