Timing

I have though a lot about how I measure time. I remember as a kid I used to measure the passing of time by how many months were left until my birthday, and then until Christmas. Since my birthday is in July the two holidays served to split up my year pretty well. I remember being about 4 years old and contemplating the great many years that were left until I would turn 18 and go off to college. I thought that day would never arrive, it was just too far away to be possible. In high school my schedule was so full that I expanded my measuring of time to include how many days there were until my next dance performance, or how many hours I had left before I had to be at work. In college my measuring stick expanded again to include marking how many weeks were left until mid-terms, and then until finals. And then I had a baby and I suddenly stopped marking time with my own activities but with those of my child. "Jade is six weeks already! another six weeks and maybe she will be rolling over!" or "McKay is already half a year!! In another few months he will be cruising/walking and will graduate to become a toddler." Time passes swiftly. It may seem slow in the moment but maybe that is so that we will have the chance to appreciate what is happening. We get that one chance and then it too zooms away to help make up our past experiences.

I read a wonderful talk by Dallin H. Oaks about timing. You can read it here. 
He said two things that really resonated with me. 


First: "In all the important decisions in our lives, what is most important is to do the right thing. Second, and only slightly behind the first, is to do the right thing at the right time." 


And second: "We prepare in the way the Lord has directed. We hold ourselves in readiness to act on the Lord’s timing. He will tell us when the time is right to take the next step. For now, we simply concentrate on our own assignments and on what we have been asked to do today. In this we are also mindful of the Lord’s assurance: “I will hasten my work in its time” (D&C 88:73).


I'm sure that many of us get caught up in waiting for the next stage of our lives to begin. I really like the reminder from Elder Oaks to concentrate on the assignments that we have been given right now. Right now I a am a mother of two very young children who require the majority of my time and my patience. It is so easy for me to wish them to be a little more self sufficient at times, but in doing so I know that I am wishing away the moments that are unique to the sage we are at right now. I realized the other day that Jadyn is hovering right on that edge between being a toddler and being a kid. A toddler is universally cute, they get to travel with mom most everywhere and are ood and awwd over much the same way a baby is. Once they enter the kid stage it seems like they loose a little of that unexplainable quality that belongs to those in babyland. I know I will miss her being a toddler, so I have determined to enjoy it while it lasts. 


I have really found a sense of purpose in seeking our what is to be my work right now, and concentrating on fulfilling those duties.


I hope that time will never pass too quickly!