I was talking to my friend Melanee on the phone the other day about the challenge of too much on a woman's plate at any given time of her life. Something about the conversation reminded me of something I had written about 7 years ago, and at Melanee's request - here it is. From my journal, dated Feb. 21, 2001:
"I made a comment to the kids [Megan was 15 and Grant was 10 at this point] yesterday about the prophets' counsel to not be too busy to make time for family prayer, scripture study, and home evening. Their reply was prompt and simultaneous. They both said it wasn't "busy-ness" keeping us from doing those things; it was that we were being lazy. They have good insight on that, and yet, at the risk of sounding like a rebuttal, I feel I must qualify to a certain degree. If we are so busy all the time that we're always near the point of exhaustion, then shouldn't we free up some time just to better budget our strength and energy resources?
"This is especially important when you consider what a challenge it has always been to me to keep foundational things in place when I start to build. This has been such a huge challenge in my life that it starts to form an "either-or" in my mind: either this is The test of my life, or, it's The test of this life. Perhaps, with the acceptance of so many deceptions, the world has got many good people - even some of the elect - doing much of this life test...backward. You cannot build anything lasting and worthwhile without a solid foundation. And the great and spacious building in Lehi's dream had no foundation.
"Of course, the sure foundation is Christ. But I'm thinking that there's a missing step after that sure foundation is in place. And, having that foundation in place is why the prophets continue to stress that first priority goes to family and individual prayer, scripture study, and home evening.
"In the building process, framing is the next step beyond the foundation. I'm thinking there must be some vital activities in this step that are being overlooked, or discounted, or even some lies are clouding our ability to even see very clearly that it's second in the process. This stuff is key in mother responsibilities as well, because it's stuff like rest, nutrition, cleanliness - both of body and environment.
"In earlier times, these things took high priority because survival depended on it. You couldn't leave this stuff out - you'd die! Today, though, the lie is still crooned into our eager ears, "you can buy anything in this world...with money." And so convenience and ease bombard us from every side, making it quite easy to gloss over building a frame that can withstand either external, or even internal, pressures. Meals largely devoid of nutrition are prepared in minutes - often by someone else, or picked up and paid for on the way home from something or other. Meals are not being shared together in families - a place where foundation and frame building used to come together. The consequences aer far reading. A new generation of young adults don't recognize basic vegetables (like broccoli!), don't know how to set a table properly, don't know how to discuss ideas and explore opinions, and have a 40-year head start on degenerative diseases, largely caused by poor nutrition.
"As I look around, I see that many build shaky buildings because step 1 and step 2 are getting skipped, or, at best, getting scanty attention. The deception is hat that underneath stuff is just that - beneath our attention or efforts. Those with the financial resources pay to have others pay attention to it. Those without the resources have been lulled into ignoring it, discounting it, or stretching their resources to buy convenient substitutes. Could it be that many mothers are working outside their homes, just so they can afford those conveniences that they wouldn't need so much if they didn't work outside their homes? What a ridiculous cycle!
"It seems like the foundation and framing are not only connected, but maybe even inseparable..."
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