Chastened

There's a possibility that this may be a little too personal but it's actually an experience that I want my children to know that I had someday when they're having their own struggles.  And since the following of this blog is mainly family and I'm pretty sure a small number of people, I'm ok with posting this.  So here goes.

Today my counselors and I gave talks in sacrament meeting because of the commemoration of the organization of the Relief Society.  My least favorite thing about giving talks is that I analyze it afterwards.  Chopper says I need to stop and forget about it -- everyone else has!!  In actuality, the talks went really well  and I was surprised to learn from my own.  How conceited does that sound?

So my topic was the third of the purposes of Relief Society: strengthen home and family.  I knew mostly what I wanted to say and did a lot of reading and found some great material: inspiring quotations, things that we need to do to strengthen home and family, etc.  But it wasn't new information to me and it wasn't earth shattering.  I know that we need to improve on family prayer and scripture study.  

But I did learn something.  I tend to get frustrated with Chopper (mad sometimes) because I feel like (whether it's true or not -- sometimes it is, and sometimes it isn't) I'm the one doing it all.  Reminding us to read scriptures and say prayers and organizing family home evening.  And I can get a little resentful of that (which is not right).  I don't even know now what I read specifically but as I did, I was filled with the realization, chastisement really, that that is MY job.  I'm the mom.  I'm responsible for the nurturing and teaching of our children.  Sure Chopper is my partner in this but his primary role is in providing and protecting our family.  And I realized that when I get mad about who's doing what, it's the kids that are suffering because of the lack of doing anything!  And I need to be a better mother and DO IT or delegate specific tasks to Chopper at that moment rather than expect him to take it all on and then be angry when he doesn't.

Funny how the Lord uses simple things to teach us the lessons we need huh?

Spencer W. Kimball said, "To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes of this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially NOBLE calling. . . . She has been placed here to help to ENRICH, to PROTECT, and to GUARD the home--which is society's basic and most noble institution."  He also said, "The time will come when only those who believe deeply and ACTIVELY in the family will be able to preserve their families in the midst of the gathering evil around us."

I think it's time that I took my role a little more seriously and stepped up to the plate.  Megan starts kindergarten in the fall and will be exposed to so much more of the good and bad in society -- we need a home that is a center for gospel teaching and learning and is a haven where they can feel the Spirit of the Lord.