Progress Not Perfection

Loved this reminder as I listened to Sheri Dew speak tonight.

Progress happens little by little... which made me think of Alma 37:6, "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass." 

Perfection comes later, but right now my goal is to work hard each day to make little bits of progress. Often I compare my kids to the "perfect" kids I see around me or the "fake kids" I see on social media. I forget that just like me, they are a work in progress. I don't want to create perfect little people, but rather I want to do a better job and helping myself (and my kids) recognize the little steps of progress that we are all making as we grow and learn in this life.

About 8 months ago our Stake Presidency gave us a challenge to focus on seven spiritual routines in our families. We've been trying to do them as best as we can. We are not perfect, but we have made huge progress. Daily family scripture time has been especially entertaining. I have seen so many blessings poured out on our family over the past several months as we have tried to do these things. Sometimes I have felt like we have literally had angels buoying up our family. The song "Angels Among Us" comes into my mind quite often, especially on long Sundays right after Annabelle was born when I wasn't sleeping much and the kids were crazy and Kevin was gone. 

In a talk by Elder Uchtdorf a year or so ago he asked, "When our time in mortality is complete, what experiences will we be able to share about our own contribution to this significant period of our lives and to the furthering of the Lord's work? Will we be able to say that we rolled up our sleeves and labored with all our heart, might, mind, and strength? Or will we have to admit that our role was mostly that of an observer?...

Tonight I decided that I don't want to be an observer. I was also reminded that there are so many good things that can fill my time, but there are some that are more important and need to be prioritized. Sister Dew talked about prioritizing our own conversions. I'm not totally sure what that looks like or what that means, but in a recent General Conference Elder Nelson pleaded with the sisters saying, "We need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who will use that understanding to teach and help raise a sin-resistant generation." 

I am not one of those women yet. I am very spiritually illiterate in so many ways, but after that talk I was inspired to work harder to understand the gospel and share it with our kids. So I'm writing that commitment down and then starting to work on it today. Not tomorrow... not next week... today.