Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Home...Thinking...
I'm reading John Adams by David McCullough and pondering...
Abigail and John Adams - what lives! What sacrifice. When appointed to go to France along with their ten-year-old son, John Quincy, John had been apart from Abigail nearly half of their marriage - away serving their country. Abigail sacrifice seems to have been no less than her husband. "These are the times that try women's souls," John is reported to have sympathetically reported to Benjamin Rush.
When I have to be away for a few hours or several long hours in a week, Emily and I feel very much tried and tested. How little I have done to strengthen my own character! I fear that if I were faced with a REAL challenge, I would not stand up for a day.
Emily had wanted us to read two more acts of King Richard the Second after the kids went to bed. I think she probably went to bed reading as late as she could because today was the first day of her new reading schedule. I have hopes that I will get my paperwork caught up sufficient to allow me to participate in the book discussions that will follow with her family over the coming year. When I have to be away for a few hours or several long hours in a week, Emily and I feel very much tried and tested. How little I have done to strengthen my own character! I fear that if I were faced with a REAL challenge, I would not stand up for a day.
Malachi wrote, "and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." When I think of the lack of trial and testing in my life in comparison with others such as Joseph and Emma and almost any common person of that or an earlier era, I think that I am certainly being raised up as a calf in the stall - taking no thought, my food is brought to me, my shelter is provided, and my wants are supplied plentifully to fatten me up. Truly I am grateful - at least in these moments. My fear is that the excellent care and my lack of hardship will leave me as veal if/when I am turned from barn to the lone and dreary world. The stall is a great advantage to my children, who need a safe, dry, warm haven in which to develop their talents, begin their educations, and experience the multitudinous other blessings of love and peace. I need follow their example and make more productive use of this time - perhaps finding out why Father still considers me a calf and what I need to do to grow up.
I waited to go into work until the children were awake so we could have scripture time and prayer. I like having scripture time in the morning rather than at night so that we can have the examples of the prophets in our minds as we face the day. It helps me draw lines of simile between the stories and my own life. We read the attempt of Zeezrom to convince Amulek to accept money in exchange for denial of his testimony before the people.
When I came back from work "for a visit" (I returned to the office to do paperwork after Family Home Evening) and put the question to Nathan, he still remembered that it was God that Zeezrom had tempted Amulek to deny. I think our scriptures have a greater effect on our daily living when we make the time for them in the morning rather than hustling through them along with the bedtime routine in our tired and frustrated state.
For Family Home evening, we spread a scroll of paper across the kitchen table and drew up a timeline of our family from the temple until now. Along the path were the births of each child, the marriages of favorite relatives, the beginning of homeschool, etc. Matthew did not have any events he could think of to put on the timeline and he contented himself with coloring the tape holding down the corners. Nathan said the highlight of his life was moving to Orem, though he invested more effort into drawing a picture of the house where he first went to preschool. Hayley added little illustrations of each child being held by Emily.
For Family Home evening, we spread a scroll of paper across the kitchen table and drew up a timeline of our family from the temple until now. Along the path were the births of each child, the marriages of favorite relatives, the beginning of homeschool, etc. Matthew did not have any events he could think of to put on the timeline and he contented himself with coloring the tape holding down the corners. Nathan said the highlight of his life was moving to Orem, though he invested more effort into drawing a picture of the house where he first went to preschool. Hayley added little illustrations of each child being held by Emily.
Nathan has been sick. He has a tendency toward fevers that seem to come up a few times per year with no known cause. Last night he came to our room asking for water and was very hot. Emily and I gave him a glass of water and I anointed and sealed a blessing that his fever break and he be healed. He said he believed the blessing would help and went back to bed. He came to our room one more time, still feverish, asking if we could turn on some music for him (The children have small music players in their rooms and we play music - usually children's hymns - for them as they go to sleep). He feels somewhat less hot this morning.
1 comment:
Eve and I enjoyed reading parts of your blog -- appreciate your good attitude and insights.
Nathan Shelton
Post a Comment