This word has been on my mind lately. I've been thinking how frazzled I often feel, and how I wish I had more time to read, blog, and sit down at the piano. Instead, I find myself running every which way, trying to clean, run a child to a lesson, prepare for an upcoming homeschooling club, or just meet the demands of dependent children.
As I was thinking about the craziness I surround myself with all the time, I was asked to give a lesson in my church to a group of women (I was asked over the phone, while my husband was super-gluing a child's head together - are you visualizing "crazy"?). The lesson was to review a talk given by President Uchtdorf. In his talk, he asks the reader/listener if the gospel of Jesus Christ was working for them. Was it producing the peace, charity, faith, and clarity of thought (among other things) it was designed to give? Not exactly, was my thought. Maybe I was missing the mark on something, I continued to read.
The talk then went on to explain the need to simplify our lives. Things were all coming together for me. As I truly thought about his words, in a way that I could teach them to others, I came to the realization of how to begin to make the little tweeks in my life to achieve greater charity, peace, and faith. I realized that I was spending too much time and effort into worrying about things that weren't all that important: clean counters, a picked-up floor, laundry, my children's check-off lists, fixing dinner, etc, etc, etc. Where my day needed to start was much more significant - in fervent scripture and prayer. Some may call this meditation. Call it what you want, but the key word is fervent. Not just reading a few scriptures bleary eyed in bed, or saying my prayers while I nod off to sleep. No, God deserves better than that in my life! Why did I not catch this earlier? If I can clearly put time aside to devote myself to my beliefs every morning, wouldn't that help me see things more clearly? Wouldn't that help me be more patient to the spilled glasses, the half-done practicing of my children, and the messy counter tops? Would I be more in-tune to help those around me? The answer is yes.
The way to do this is to live by faith. To focus on the most important things, to focus on loving my family and neighbors. After that, the rest falls more easily into place. It's an ongoing process, simplifying. So many good things continually crop up, and continually I need to re-prioritize and get rid of all the excess in my life.
I have this quote in my room for an added measure of inspiration. It is by Rachel DeMille, a homeschooling guru, "The Family lived a life of simplicity, free of mundane clutter, distractions or addicting or toxic influences in their time or space or diet. They worked together and played together, they sang and laughed and loved." This is my vision for my family and my day to day life. I'm not there yet, but I am on the path of improvement. Wish me luck in my quest to simplify!
