Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Deep Thought

I have had a deep thought percolating in my mind of late. I thought I would share it. It is along the same lines as the idea that "life is more about the journey than the destination." I have been realizing that life is less about what the beauty and wonder of our creations here on earth and more about us learning to become creators.

We do wonderful things here on earth. We create art, we create clean spaces, we create children and families and relationships and work projects and inventions and a million other little things. We like to make these things look beautiful and strive for some degree of "perfection" in these things we create.

But the reality is that often the things we create or are creating are no where close to "perfect." The house is often messy and the relationships can be messy too sometimes. Even when we feel we get something just the way we want it, life can suddenly turn it upside down and "mess it up."

By nature, I am a woman who looks for the straightest line between two points. The one point is where I am and the other is where I want to be. I am a doer. I want to check it off my list and I want it to stay checked. :) I want to drive the shortest, and fastest way to the store or the school. I want to order my life so that it works at maximum efficiency.

So this realization that has been coming to me has really shaken my paradigm. I am seeing that sometimes it is better for me to get up and walk upstairs to get something up there I need rather than ask my husband to bring it down with him when he comes. Why? Because I get the exercise of climbing the stairs and strengthening my muscles.

I am seeing that the purpose of picking up the toys may not be about getting the house clean but it may be about making me a better worker. Perhaps it is better to cook whatever I eat because the work of it will make me stronger and healthier than doing the easy thing or eating out or picking up fast food.

It has made me think about the Karate Kid movie (the original) where Mr. Miagi makes the kid do all those random chores. Maybe he didn't really need his fence painted or his car washed. The whole point was to build the kids muscles in the right movements.

It is okay if my kids are not perfect. They are in training. It is okay if I am not perfect. I am also in training. I succeed when I keep training. There is no "finish" to this work. I am in school. I am learning - often one mistake at a time.

I don't have to create perfection. I just have to grow and learn as I create.

This thought has made my house cleaning and cooking and mothering seem so much more purposeful and hopeful and positive. I hope it helps anyone else out there as much as it has helped me. Anyone get thoughts to add to this?

8 comments:

Samantha said...

Your so right. Thank you for the beautiful thoughts and words. Prayers and hugs, Samantha

Kathleen said...

Do you know the story of Mary and Martha? I am a Martha and struggle to be more of a Mary. It is hard as I struggle with trying to make everything perfect, but as I age I know that I will never be perfect. There is only one who is perfect. Jesus Christ. I have to remind myself every now and then. What a wonder that He accepts me just the way I am. And who am I to act as if what God created, ME, is not good enough!? God creates no junk!

Lindsay RC Wilson said...

No thoughts to add, but my noggin will be turning this one over and over. Thank you for the thought.

Recovering from addictions said...

Thank you for your amazing post. Reading this was exactly what I needed this morning. I couldn't agree more with what you had to say and it was a great reminder to us all to not be in such a rush to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. I think in this fast paced world we often look for the fastest route in most things, when we could learn and grow so much more if we took the longer route and stopped to smell the roses once in awhile. Thank your for your beautiful, encouraging, uplifting, sprirtual blog, you are a great example of faith to so many :)

Anonymous said...

thank you.

munyer jerk chicken said...

Hi Stephanie!
It's been a while, but I hopped on to your blog at the perfect time. I too, needed this reminder. I went and pulled out a raggedy piece of paper that I hang up on my wall every now and then. It's a quote that I typed up along with a few pictures of Abraham when he was learning to put on his shoes years ago. I would get so frustrated at how slow he was and how he slowed me down when I was in a hurry to get out the door. Anyway, it's right in line with your post: "We often think about family duties in terms of family prayer, home evening, and scripture reading, but we should also remember that activities like feeding and clothing ourselves help us practice love, service, obedience, and cooperation. These simple, everyday routines have great power in our lives... Opportunities to learn and practice in the home are sacred; they are times to grow spiritually and draw closer to the Savior. This process of growth if a life-long quest, and our home environment gives us repeated, sustained chances to practice becoming godlike individuals and families." It's from the July 2007 Ensign p. 47 by Shirley R. Klein. Thanks again for the reminder. Now I'm going to tape it up on my bathroom mirror again!

Garbage Guru's Wife said...

Excellent insight.

Jonelle Hughes said...

Thank you Stephanie for sharing these ponderings. I know them to be true. I have often had the thought, "why do I have to sweep, clean, make dinner, all these things, over and over and over?" It can feel like Groundhog Day for our growing family of 7. But what you expressed is so right. It is the repetition that brings refinement.

I realized through reading your post that I am given every day to improve on the last, even if the tasks seem mundane. I can improve, find joy in them and move forward out of the victim/martyr role and step into the joyful mother/stewardship role! WOW! I get to choose! I loved what you said,

"I don't have to create perfection. I just have to grow and learn as I create."

We don't have to create perfection! Whew! Isn't that a freeing feeling? Thank you so much for sharing this, it has made a difference in my life. :)