I just got a phone call from Michelle. A man in our ward who has been sick with Leukemia is expected to die within the next day or two. Rick put up a good fight but he is leaving behind a wife and three children all under the age of 10. This news made Mom's email this morning all the more pointed. It makes me reflect on my own mortality and makes me ask myself if I have done what is important today. I have spent the majority of my life working towards the next step - whatever that is. What if tomorrow never comes? Will we be satisfied knowing that we gave it our best shot? I hope so. If not, let's make the decision to change.
This last Sunday, we had a lesson about goals. The instructor asked how many of us made New Year's resolutions. My hand stayed down. Although New Year's resolutions are a good time to start making good habits or breaking bad ones, I came to the conclusion a couple of years ago that if there was something in my life that I needed to change, I needed to do it now, not wait for New Year's. As such, I recently made a goal to never miss a day feasting on my scriptures. I had let that habit slip and I was noticing the difference the absence of really studying the scriptures was making in my life. I am satisfied to say that I have fallen in love with the prophet Nephi again. His words are so powerful and they resonate with my soul. Likewise, I love his brother Jacob. One of the things Jacob said that I really am striving to attain is in 2 Nephi chapter 6. He says that he has spent his life to that point teaching the people of Nephi the gospel because he is desirous for the welfare of their souls and that his anxiety is great for them. I had to ask myself how desirous I was for the welfare of the souls of those around me and decided that it wasn't enough. These are some of the changes I am striving to make in my life so that when my time here is done, I will be able to look back knowing that I have done all I can do.
I apologize for the morose nature of this post but sometimes I think these are things we need to think about.
2 comments:
I've had to attend far too many funerals where people have died too young. I've been to 6 funerals in the past 12 years where the person was under 40 years old. Even knowing what I know, it's very difficult. My roommate Mary died of cancer in '96. That was an experience I'll never forget. She left behind an essay (she was an english major at BYU) entitled "Why I Want to Stay Alive". Maybe someday I'll share it. She asked us not to read it until after she had passed. It stays in my journal as a constant reminder to make each day count. She passed just before our Thanksgiving holiday, giving me and my roommates (one of whom was Tara Gomm) something more to reflect on that day. I agree with Jason -- don't let the trivial things in life become consuming. Make time for the important things and prioritize.
Thank you for your post. It is wonderful to see that my kids are having life changing and deepening experiences.
I am sorry about your friend dying. Your comments are very interesting. Some day maybe not to far away, your parents will die, too. That was quite an experience for me.
Goals are so good. I am not a good formal goal maker. Never have been, and it is a significant weakness. However, I have lots of important service goals. Right now they are very important to me. Some of them involve all of you kids. I work on them, and others. It is what keeps me going.
I love to hear you speak of daily scripture study. I have been doing that now for many years and it is amazing what it does for me. I read the Book of Mormon every day. I just finished it again since last September's starting. I read Moroni 10 last night. I have started to read the D and C also in addition to the Book of Mormon. It has been a couple of years since I have been into it extensively.
Do you remember the lesson in the Priesthood manuel on President Kimball that spoke of discovering the sciptures? Read the comment from the bottom of page sixty and on the top of page sixty-one. I have not done as well as President Kimball, but I am working on it. I think I have read the Book of Mormon three times since President Hinckley asked us to a while back. I was in the middle of the book when he asked the Church to read. I an amazed at how many people that had not read it for so long.
But the B of M is beyond belief. I have had so many questions and each time I find an answer from somewhere.
I would love to hear what you are thinking about what you read. Communicate with me or call if you can. I would love it.
Hope you read it with the kids, too. We read the B of Mormon each day at breakfast. We are trying to stay ahead of the Sunday School class. It is tough, but the kids are enjoying it more that ever before. Adam was still a baby when we started family scipture study. We have made an effort ever since, sometimes better that others, but an effort. We are doing well right now.
Love you all,
Dad Clark
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