Okay, I am taking this moment to make a journal entry. I have been reminded of a lesson I learned growing up, was reminded of on my mission, and am reminded of yet again. It must need to be written down so that I will remember again or so someone else who reads this can learn the lesson. Here goes...
As a child I always heard the stories about when we pay our tithing everything works out. I believed those stories. As I got older, I had my own experiences with that. I can't think of any single experience that stands out, per se, but I have just always known that when I pay my tithing, the other 90% is enough and things seem to "work out." I also learned that if we do not pay our tithing first thing, or put the Lord first, somehow at the end there will not be enough to hurry and give Him. Interesting right?
Well, as a missionary, I experienced something similar. We had a rule to email home every Wednesday (Preparation Day). We had 1 hour allotted at the email cafe to do this: read our emails from home AND email home. Along with this, we were instructed to email our mission president. At first I never did this (meaning I never emailed my mission president). By the time I read my emails and emailed my parents there was never time to email the mission president. I didn't realize it was a rule of the mission either until at a conference our mission president addressed it. (I clearly was not the only one not doing this.) As obedient of a missionary as I was, I realized that I was not keeping the rules if I was not writing this letter each week to let my president know how things were going. I committed myself to this "simple" rule and the next time we emailed I was determined I would have enough time to email both president and my family. I started emailing my family and with a 5 minute warning on my computer, I realized I had not emailed my president. I hurried and wrote him a quick line (just so I could count myself obedient). The next week the same thing happened and the next week repeated the experience of the first 2 weeks. I was so frustrated that it wasn't working out. As we ended emailing that day, one of the sisters said, "You know, when I email President first, I seem to have so much more time to email my family." Then it dawned on my, I was not putting the Lord first (even as a missionary). So the next week I emailed President first. It basically took the whole hour, and I knew I had to email my family too, so I hurried, with my 5 minute warning, and forwarded my family the letter I wrote to President just so they would hear from me, even if it was impersonal. This continued for a few weeks. Then I learned that if I went to email time prepared, meaning if I had a plan, then my time seemed lengthened. So beforehand I would write 2 lists, one was what I needed to write to president, and the other was what I wanted to tell my family. As I went prepared, emailed President first (put the Lord first), then my family, I seemed to have more time. I started to learn the lesson that this sister had experienced. It was a small and simple principle with a great lesson on putting the Lord first.
Recently as a busy mom, I have found myself slipping away from putting the Lord first. Often times the day slips away without a single scripture read (I hate admitting that, but it's the truth). I know I should be reading my scriptures everyday, I know that I NEED the power that comes from studying the gospel, and yet, I forget??? This wasn't sitting well with me. I seemed to be going through the motions of my day, and not really enjoying it. I felt guilty every time I thought about how neglectful I have been to the Lord. I tried to arise early, before my husband and kids, and that didn't work. I thought about studying at night after kids were in bed and it was quiet and I would forget. Nothing was working. Until I found what worked for ME...Naptime! My kids usually will nap at the same time for at least an hour if not longer. That was MY time! I concluded that not only was that MY time, that was the LORD's time. Time for me to study the scriptures. Time to put the Lord first! I have to admit, I am not perfect at this, but as I do it, my days seem to run more smoothly. I crave that time every day. I am happier. It is not easy to push aside the laundry, dishes, bathrooms, and floors that need to be cleaned (I know it should be easy cause who really wants to do that), but as I take the time to put the Lord first, he gives that time back to me and blesses me with added strength and power to accomplish the essential things in my life.
I am grateful to have learned through tithing, my mission presidents letters, and a mommy's busy schedule this great lesson about putting the Lord first.
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