Well, we're almost there. For those of you counting this is week number seven of Chris' six weeks. It's the military. I expected it, didn't you?
Because I expected up to eight weeks, I was prepared with another letter for our project that would cover any "extra" time he might be spending deployed.
So, now it's tell time. How did this week go for those of you out there? Mine was quite the week. Excellence was a wonderful topic and I learned a lot. One of those lessons was that excellence is a process not an event. I can't say, "today I achieved excellence." But I will be able to say, "my life has been one in the pursuit of excellence." I learned from the companion article that excellence isn't going above and beyond by leaps and bounds in everything you do. Excellence is spending those extra few minutes to listen to a loved one or friend. It's planning and carrying through with a project even when you don't want to do it anymore. It's being patient just a bit longer than you had hoped. It's saying that extra prayer, doing a small act of service only you will notice, reading an extra chapter in your scriptures, saying yes to helping someone when you really want to say no. Excellence isn't a giant step, it's a lot of little ones that make up "going that extra mile". Not one person who talks about the extra mile ever gives a time limit on how long that mile might take. It might take a few minutes; it might take a few months. It might take your whole life to go that one extra mile. It's not how far you go or how long it takes you to get there, it's did you strive to do a little more every day.
Now, I won't say that I did this every day. I did keep it in my thoughts, and I worked hard to keep my steps small. I tend to only do things really big and then I'm too exhausted to do any more the rest of the time. So this challenged me. That's what it's supposed to do right? Doing things in moderation or a little a time are not my strengths, but that's what was asked of me this week. So, for example, I read in my scriptures until I felt like putting it down - allowed it to be as long as I wanted and didn't focus on being obedient to my goal, but to really just enjoy what I was reading. I flew through Alma and Helaman this week! I desired to read quite a bit more than my five chapters a night. The story was so good and the people's experiences so fascinating. I'm so glad that I didn't limit myself by specific constraints. I ended up reading over 15 chapters one night. That sounds great doesn't it? But what you don't understand is that because I allowed myself to just read until I was done instead of limiting myself, I didn't do any chores or projects that night. I allowed myself to strive for excellence in reading my scriptures, but it did have a price.
Staying to talk to a friend might mean we're excellent friends, but it might make us miss other things. It's important to keep things in a balance. Excellence doesn't require us to forgo our responsibilities or our other goals. It just asks us to squeeze in a little "extra". I don't regret that night I was excellent in the scriptures - it set my whole week off on a great footing. I was blessed later in the week to finish what I would have done earlier. I was blessed.
Well, I hope you learned some good lessons too!
Letter:
Well hello, I’m super excited to talk to you my amazing husband.
Bet you didn’t think you’d hear from me again, did you? Thought you were done, huh? Not quite!
Well here I am; ready and prepared. You know me, it’s not hard to imagine. So I looked at the calendar when I got your deployment date for leaving and I noticed that if we counted exactly 45 days it left us in the middle of the week. I also know that if the military actually sent you home the 46th day, I would be very surprised. So, this letter covers the last topic or section of our project. We may get to do it, we may not. Either way, I am prepared and excited for this letter even though you may never read it during the deployment. If however, they keep you another week to two weeks you will still be joining me in our project uninterrupted.
Ponder
“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.” – Proverbs 4:26
“Wherefore you are left to inquire for yourself at my hand, and ponder upon the things which you have received.” - D&C 30:3
As the bolded word indicates week 7/8 is to ponder. This is the time when we look back on what we’ve learned, studied, experienced, and how we’ve changed. This is one of those moments that are so rare in this world. You seem to be able to do it, but I need the practice. Some of the best lessons learned have not been when the teacher was talking or the student was writing, but when that student took it home and thought about it a bit, turning it around in his/her head until all sides had been observed and investigated. Not many students have the inclination nor the time and attention such pondering takes. We are going to be among those rare few for this one. During the next week – next two weeks – we will be those students who re-read, pray again, search again, and remember what has been during this adventure. I know that we will be blessed for taking the time and making the effort to follow through all the way to the end of this study. Sometimes the most important knowledge is just waiting in the details that are so easily overlooked. That’s why the scriptures need to be read again and again – we miss things all the time. Let’s not miss anything if we can help it!
So now you know – over preparing can be good sometimes! See, that’s why God gave us partners. You enjoy today, while I prepare for tomorrow. You need both to live the gospel and to live life happily. Aren’t we great together?!
Hugs, kisses, missing you every day! Kids say hi, of course and we are trying to be patient! See you soon.
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