Enough time?

[Erudite]

(I started this as a blog, but it got SO LDS that I thought I should move it to the LDS board. It's a blog though so it's disjointed thoughts....)

"Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein."

- H. Jackson Brown

I got this quote from my new diet site. I'm sitting here this morning trying to quickly get caught up with my correspondance and food tracking before starting on a long list of "to-do". I love my correspondance with all of you on the board and my healthy living board, so I wanted to get that done first, but it does shorten up the time for all the other things I need to do today. The quote made me think, so I'm quickly blogging about it.

I wonder sometimes, if we leave time for "greatness"...for doing great things and thinking great thoughts and becoming great people. I don't mean being Einstein or Michelangelo. I mean the really great things of eternal significance. Do we really consider how our actions are GREAT? How as mothers and wives, the little things make such a BIG difference? Do we realize that in doing those little things we impact generations to come and generations past?

Yesterday in GD class, we were discussing Romans. One of the discussions talked about foreordination and we covered that each of us were foreordained to something and it was up to us to find what we were foreordained to do. That really made me think. There are times when I am sure I know what I was asked to do and other times when I look around me and wonder if I'm anywhere close to doing it...ever. I always have to remind myself that no matter what, my foreordination included having my 4 children and rearing them in righteousness and there is nothing so important...even if I was also foreordained to other things. They ARE my greatness, but do I take time to make them that way?

Time is a funny thing...when they are babies you have so very much of it. But my babies are gone now; my youngest will be in kindergarten next year and my oldest will be ordained a deacon. Have I, am I, teaching them all they need to know for their own greatness?

I hope so, but I can do better than hope, I think. I said to a friend a few weeks ago that I didn't think my parents worried about me anymore. They realized, I thought, that I'd fully taken on working out my own salvation, where I have siblings who have not. She assured me that they did indeed worry about me still. But I think there are some tangible intangibles that would indicate that our children are on the right path, no matter the age.

On Sunday, my two oldest fasted for my brother-in-law who is to have a kidney transplant this week. I was so proud of their willing and uncomplaining spirits. We discussed it with them the night before and let them make the choice to help. They paused and thought through the idea that our sacrifice of food can help their uncle and decided it was worth the try. My 11 yo ds came to me twice before he ate to make sure it was ok to do so, because he felt so good, I think, in fasting. He admitted through tears that he'd felt the spirit blessing him that day. It was a marvelous thing to see and a point to feel humbled in being allowed to participate in his greatness.

Do we recognize the moments and hold to them? Do we know what they make us when we take on god-like attributes for even a moment? I am amazed and humbled and awed and...so many other feelings.

[5ft Diva]

Do I ever take time for "greatness" or even time to consider it? Yes, if I can get myself to see from the outside in - meaning w/ perspective.

[Erudite]

Interesting thought, 5D. Outside in...if you don't mind sharing in this forum, how do you approach that? What does it mean to you?

[5ft Diva]

I think you're asking me to tell you how I approach things from the outside in. If not, let me know so I can answer the right question.

I usually approach this by actually stepping outside of my situation. Don't go thinking that I got it together - 'cause I don't. It's usually by accident that I stumble outside of my situation - for instance, going away for the weekend. Another way I see things from the outside in is to view them from wiser eyes. This takes a little "homework". This is where your mom and grandmother comes into play. Know what I mean? Very rarely can I see things from the outside in when talking to my peers (in fact, sometimes they make things even more confusing) but when I talk to someone who's been there, done that, I get a bigger picture and understand my role - in the now - a little better. Hope that makes sense.

[Erudite]

So "outside in" is a view of the bigger picture...looking at more lives than your own?

It's funny, my Mother did that for me just the other day. I was irritated over something my in-laws have done and she said "get over it" and told me how I should consider it. I know she's right, because she's looking at it from their point of view, but I'm struggling to give up my own sense of "justice" and self preservation, if that makes sense without going into whiney detail.

I guess if I were to do that (give up what I think is my right to have, but which is not actually so...nor even all that good for my sanity) I would be able to approach greatness. Such pettinesses keep me "on the ground" when I could be flying high. Sigh...one more thing to work on. One of the hardest I think.

Sorry for the stream of consciousness that this is....

[5ft Diva]

Pettiness keeps me on the ground as well....a little too much. I think it might be my comfort zone at times. Something to ponder.