I’ve been wanting to write all week long. Things, thoughts, have been bouncing around in my head, but I have just been too busy. I’m working everyday this week and by the time I get home, get kids through homework, cook dinner, run everyone to their individual activities, shower the kids, read scriptures and have prayer and actually just chill with my kiddos for a few minutes … I am exhausted. And at the end of the day, as I finally settle into my own time, I am left deciding between an evening walk (which I love, but haven’t done much of lately, but really bad want to get back to), a long, hot bath (which I also love and is so nice at the end of the day), or sleep (which I also love and need).
Sleep has been winning. I actually made getting better sleep one of my two New Year’s Resolutions (my other resolution is drinking more chocolate milk, ha ha – don’t judge me. There is an explanation. And, yes, I’m totally crushing my resolutions so far this year, ha ha. Winner!)
I am tired, you can tell, because my writing is silly. But … just the same, tonight, I am choosing writing. So here are some of the thoughts that have been in my head throughout the week:
Work. I am so 100% convinced (the Gospel according to Shaleah) that work is a divine principle that we learned long before we were ever mortal beings. I believe that it is part of our spiritual make up. That it is something that draws us closer to our Heavenly Father and reminds us of our spiritual home. I think that maybe this is part of why Heavenly Father “curses” the earth for Adam and Eve’s sake – so they would have to work. They were being physically cut off from God and would need other avenues of knowing Him and their connection to Him and feeling close to Him. Work was one of many beacons Heavenly Father employed to call them (and us) back to Him.
Work, in this sense, is not necessarily meant as your 9 to 5 everyday job, although that can be part of it. But work, in the divine sense, is actually meant as productivity, growth and discipline. Anything we intentionally do to enhance those things is divine work ethic.
We should always be working. Our lives should be fully intentional and directed toward growth. This can be done in so many aspects and ways in our lives. It can be financially, developing financial stability etc like many people think of as work. It can be spiritually, learning to serve in callings or be consistent in prayer etc. It can be in physical fitness, consistent exercise routines etc. All of it makes us higher functioning individuals.
One area we should always be working on … relationships.
People matter. “Feed my sheep,” were Jesus’s words to Peter. Heavenly Father loves His children. We are His children, and just like I want my own children to be kind and loving and helpful toward each other, so does He want us to be that toward each other as well. He has placed us in families (the most functional way to produce His grand design of us living in Celestial glory with Him again) to learn this principle of work in conjunction with many other Heavenly principles.
Next to strengthening your relationship with your Heavenly Father, your greatest efforts of work in the family setting should be directed toward your spouse. That marriage relationship should be your solid. It should be your safe place. Your inspirational place. Your at peace place. Your laugh a lot place. Your best friend place. Your rest place … basically your close to God place. And it should be all of these places eventually, because this is the relationship you will need to be able to work at full capacity in the post mortal existence.
I believe the post mortal existence is teeming with highly organized, highly rewarding work for us to do, the kind that you settle in with at the end of the day feeling so satisfied and happy and grateful for. The kind that leads to a fullness of joy. But without this kind of marriage relationship, you aren’t able to do it. So our spouses should be our ultimate priority in our work efforts. They are our jurisdiction. Take care of each other. Be kind. Be gentle. Be thoughtful. Be helpful. Be patient. And my personal favorite … Be funny. Put your energies here. You won’t regret it.
I love how smart our Heavenly Father is. I love that He sees our existence as a whole and makes arrangements for us to reach our full potential accordingly. I also love that He allows us our agency and freedom. He makes all things possible for us, but we have to make them happen, we have to work for it.
Forever grateful!
