Essentials and Extras

Chad was really sick on Sunday. I was not looking forward to church alone with 3 kids. Especially, since Owen has been a pill in Sacrament Meeting recently. I only had to take Owen out once. I was avoiding that as much as possible out for fear of how my children would act if I left them alone in the pew.

When I came back from taking Owen out...he was still a pill but not screaming.

At one moment, he decided to sit still on my lap...for like 3-5 minutes straight. I was so grateful to be able to zone in on a friend who was bearing her testimony. We never hang out but she has become so important to me. Her baby had the same intolerances as Owen...and without her I don't think I could have survived it all. Now she is my visiting teacher and I love that.

During those few minutes that Owen decided to sit still I had my ah ha moment. She was talking about how complacency is never good. And recently she has felt complacent not realizing it was all that bad. (Seriously, don't we all feel that way!) But she said she realized she should always be challenging herself and trying to improve her life on a daily basis...and that would be the opposite of complacent. She talked about these two words that kept ringing in my ear: Essentials and Extras. When I've thought of those words in the past I've thought of physical belongings. I hadn't really thought about applying those words in my personal life.

It made me wonder...what do I view as ESSENTIAL and what do I view as EXTRA in my life?

She made it clear that she feels she gets these 2 mixed up all the time. (Don't we all?)

Do I make time to watch TV? Yes
Do I make time to read my scriptures everyday? NO

Questions like that were racing through my head. I don't think I'm choosing one over the other in the moment...but really that is what I do when looking back. I was disappointed in myself yet I felt moved to make a change. I realized I need to re-evaluate my priorities more often. They all too easily get jolted and mixed up. And that is not ok. By the end of her testimony...I had tears streaming down my face. Not tears of depression but tears of wanting to change.

This may sound lame but for me it was such a great moment...I never want to forget it. Because I don't know that last time I felt so moved to change by someone's testimony. And the fact that it was the only 5 minutes Owen wasn't being a terror during the 3 hour block says something to me. I was supposed to hear it.

So, here's to making some important changes and sorting through my essentials and my extras.