Three Keys to Knowing God Better and New Look at "Perfect"

Letter to my Tova, capturing some thoughts I have had lately and maybe others would have something to add or learn from my mistakes and experiences.

It is a beautiful Saturday morning and I am journaling, blogging and "taking care of business" like emails and writing to Congressmen and Senators to protect Vidangel's right to help us filter in the comforts of our own home.  Typical morning, right? 

Unfortunately we have had a phenomenal number of "accidents" this morning.  Spooner peed on the new rug twice yesterday.  Papaya had an unusually bad pee accident in Bink's crib including a huge amount of bedding.  Someone hadn't rotated the laundry as they should so I had to rouse them out of bed at 6 am to get it rotated.  Nothing like "accountability," right? :S  Sometimes it does hurt.

Anyway, then an unusual person accidentally wet the bed while on the new fold out bed in our couch about an hour later and Binks woke up completely soaked with urine because I didn't change him again before putting him to bed.  I am surrounded by the smell of urine and by the feel of yuck.  That is hard for me.  

However, I have been trying to change my heart towards affliction.  Yesterday Binks pulled down the allowance jars off the counter-top and they "exploded" all over the floor: glass, change and paper money.  As I walked in I felt surprisingly calm.  I felt immediately that this was a test: am I really going to control my anger and let it go?  I said a prayer, a deep and meaningful one, before proceeding.  As I cleaned up I felt no victimization, bitterness and only a tinge of regret.  It was beautiful.  Our Savior and our Heavenly Father can truly help us overcome all our weaknesses and make them strong.  

My reaction was not my usual one, which is why I am noticing it.  Normally, it is all those things I didn't feel at that moment in the kitchen threshold and while cleaning up.  Over 20 years of parenting and I am finally starting to reign in my temper.  There is truly hope.

I have been thinking a great deal about "the one needful thing" mentioned by the Savior to Martha.  I feel the answer is to love God and serve Him with all your heart.  How do we express that love?  How do we carry out that service?  That is part of the one needful thing...to be able to understand and accept that for ourselves.  Humility.  Surrender.  Hope.  Contentment. Trust.  Faith.  Action.

I believe a key part of learning how to do the "one needful thing" with our lives is coming to know our Father in Heaven better.  The bishop shared something cool in his testimony last week.  He said that just like with our earthly fathers, we can develop a better relationship with our Heavenly Father by doing the following:

#1: take an interest in his/His work

#2: Demonstrate trust in him/Him

#3: Ask his/His advice

Pretty cool potential for thoughts on that one, right?

One last thought before I go that I think you would like.  We did a word study on "Finisher" and there were a couple cool definitions from the 1812 dictionary I think you would like:

Finisher: one who completes or perfects (Jesus si the author and finisher of our faith)

Finish: To arrive at the end of, to complete, to make perfect, to accomplish; to polish to the degree of excellence intended (isn't that cool??)

Perfect: "having all that is requisite to its nature and kind"  

There is no one standard of "perfect" for anyone, which also supports the Greek definition of "perfect"= complete.  

We all have different degrees of excellence intended for us.  We all have different requirements of what make us perfect according to our nature and kind. Isn't that cool??  Much food for thought.

Anyway, love you girlie.  Keep smiling and know you are in our thoughts and prayers often.

Much love,

Mommy