This is the first gift that I bestowed upon you; and I have commanded that you should pretend to no other gift until my purpose is fulfilled in this; for I will grant unto you no other gift until it is finished.
Doctrine and Covenants 4:5
Sometimes I feel restless for the next step. We are almost finished raising children at home and I feel interested to know where to put my energy.
Some insight came last week as I studied the Doctrine and Covenants. This verse is about the gift of translation for Joseph Smith, but I learned a few things about my own situation from these words.
My phase of life is a gift. These are important, poignant days in our family.
I don’t need all the gifts at once.
There will be other gifts when this phase is finished.
I need to be patient and see this through.
There is no need to pretend a work other than the one the Lord has planned for me. It is enough.
I can’t stop making these little cross stitch pictures, and I can finish one in about a week. Since our piano has been in the shop, Mark and I have spent a lot of time at the church so he can practice the piano and organ in the chapel. I sit and listen, stitch, and rest. I give these little creations as gifts to friends, and the pictures leave my shelves almost as quickly as I can produce them. I post them here as a record that they were made.
If I keep working, I might have a Dresden plate quilt to show for the year. I don’t feel any rush to finish this quilt, which is nice, so I can enjoy the process.
I can look back at photos of a quilt, doll, or cross stitch project and remember the circumstances around their creation. I remember who was with me while I worked. I recall the stresses and joys of the time. I remember the loved ones for whom they were made. Creation is tied to life, and it doesn’t seem to matter what I create, whether it is with fabrics, home decor, paint, or words, my creations hold my history.
Our piano tuner and technician wheeled these pieces of our piano out of our house today on a gurney, loaded them into a truck, and took them to his workshop to be regulated. The process will take a week or more, and having the piano disassembled feels really disconcerting.
I thought I’d do my part to conjure some autumn temperatures by removing the patriotic summer things from these shelves.
It’s still hot, but I feel better having something different to look at. This is a collection of mostly old things, arranged in a new way, and the sight is rejuvenating to me.
If you were unfortunate enough to watch Netflix’s 2022 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, I recommend the following:
Read the actual novel. This will give you the most thorough reset.
Watch the 1995 BBC version of Persuasion for the most faithful version of Captain Wentworth’s spirited character.
Watch the 2007 BBC version to get the most faithful version of Anne, an introverted character you come to know by her thoughts more than her conversation. (Netflix, what you did to the character of Anne Elliot is inexcusable.)
I have completed steps 1-2 and I am beginning step 3 while I tackle a stack of ironing.
“It must needs be that we should be led with one accord to the land of promise.”
1 Nephi 10:13
I never considered this line from Lehi until today. He has seen a lot of disunity in his family on their wilderness journey, and chooses to emphasize the need to act with one accord.
“With one accord = all together”
Why?
Lehi sees his family as being important in the overall plan of our Heavenly Father for his children. He is looking for unity stemming from a common faith.
Maybe we should think of our families like Lehi thinks about his family. Hey, our family is important to God! Together we can help each other and the world, beyond anything you can imagine. First things first: we need to understand Jesus.
“Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer.”
1 Nephi 10:6
In what ways can a family be led with one accord?
In resolve to keep covenants.
In thanksgiving
In love
In work
In testimony
In support
In faith
In humor
In working for peace
What has helped my family to live with one accord?
worship
good traditions
communication
routines
goals
recreation
acts of love
Never have weaccomplished or needed to do all of these things well at the same time.
I note the first word in the phrase, “Led with one accord.” Our success doesn’t come down to how well we did all the things, and you know the long list of all the things. This is, above all, a journey in grace, God’s help, God’s path, and God’s love. Sometimes our self-imposed lists can be the biggest barrier to the grace that would lead us along. Being led by the Lord means being true to Him through keeping covenants.
We are here to learn how to allow ourselves to be led, together. That looks different, day by day, week by week, year after year. For us, it once looked like prayer and job charts, singing Primary songs, and even shouting “Bam!” when we heard an important word in the scriptures. Now, it looks like intentional mealtime conversations, different ways to study scriptures, and more fun time together. Being “led with one accord” is simply to allow the Good Shepherd to lead your family along.
It works to just ask in prayer, “What should I do today to help my family?” An idea or thought, phrase, or call to action will come. It will definitely be a simple instruction, manageable and meaningful.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and he have not as yet understood the great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you.
“And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.”
I love reading works of history, and I definitely have favorite historians. I was sad to learn of the passing of two of my favorites this month.
The first was David McCullough. Years ago for fun, I wrote my dream guest list for the best dinnertime conversation, and he was one of my wishlist guests. My favorite books that he wrote are Truman and John Adams, but I have enjoyed many others. Here is a small clip of his voice that is worth listening to, especially from about minute 2 until the end.
The other historian was Kate Holbrook. Her passing was especially sad to me, as she was young and had such a vibrant faith. I have met her, and in the few words we exchanged, I saw a very kind and earnest scholar and mother. I am a fan of her work to get Latter-day Saint women’s stories into the hands of Church members. I am a fan of her efforts to nurture her own living faith. I am sharing a Stanford Convocation address she gave in 2019 if you feel like listening to a smart, wise woman scholar who worked for the Church History Department. I can’t embed the video in this post, but this is the link.
I have definitely felt a low after coming down from so many high-impact events this summer. I think this is pretty normal, kind of like the days after Christmas. I have retreated from extra events, and count, stitch, and pull strands of thread to reestablish some order in my mind. I have just needed to be still.
I stepped away from reading for a while, but this week, I finally finished a book that I started in early July. It was called The Worst Hard Time 😂, and maybe you can see better than I could that this was not a great reading choice for me this summer.
We are still trying to establish some footing in our new schedule for the school year, but we are getting there. It feels like layering, one piece at a time. Eventually, we’ll find our rhythm, melody, and harmony again.
I am maintaining my goal to work on temple and family history work for a short time each week. One project this month is to go through old mail and cards that I have kept throughout my life. I am letting go of a lot of it. For scale, I would say I have one banker’s box left, and still plan to say goodbye to much more.
I haven’t been reading every letter, just sorting them by sender. Even without reading, I am amazed at what I learn about my grandmothers as I do this. I thought that I had already gathered their writing, but I have found so much more. Perhaps I am coming to know them better after they are gone, when the sum of their words and kindness are laid bare on the sorting table. I always knew they were good to me, but seeing their words from every stage of my life is an incredible gift.
I visualize my Grandma Ruth standing in the grocery store next to the greeting cards, finding just the words and images she wanted to convey. I picture my Grandma Stewart at her writing desk, penning her brief notes, often ending with “Take care–,” which of course meant, “I love you.” I see them, clearly in my mind, and know they are still with me.
