All That I Need To Do

This video came out a while ago. It really struck me, but in a way that it struck other people. I wanted to share my thoughts on it today.

I find myself, like that woman, often times kneeling in prayer asking Heavenly Father to help me in accomplishing all that I need to do for the day. It's a common phrase. I think it's one a lot of people say. And it's something a lot of people want; to be able to do all that we need to do in a day.

There's quite a laundry list for me when I look at all that I need to do in a day. I look back at high school, even, when there was the list. Marching band practice, orchestra practice, pit orchestra practice, FEA meetings, MESA meetings, flute sectionals, practice for quartets, practice for my four instruments, lessons for those instruments, parties, movies, hang-outs.

It was an insignificant list in the grand scheme of things, but the thought of missing even one of those for one day would send panic through me. I couldn't POSSIBLY not do all I needed to do that day. After all, I NEEDED to do those things on THAT day. There was no option for failure, for certainly, failure would signal the end of my productivity and worth. Failure would be the end of me.

Eventually it drove me to sickness. To lying in bed in sheer panic of that list. To trying to do everything and maybe even getting to everything, but in the process of that, not doing anything well, and failing.

It took me years. I didn't learn it in high school. I didn't learn it even in the first year of college. But eventually I learned that it wasn't important that I do all that I needed to do that day. What was important was preserving myself so that SOME day I would be able to do all that I needed to do. It took a lot of talks with my dad, talks where he told me that I was faltering and that I needed to cut things out. It took a lot of talks with my Heavenly Father to realize that cutting out things would be ok, and figure out what things I should cut out.

Eventually I did cut out things. Things that were important to me. Things that made me happy. But things that were not necessary, and when it came down to it, things that were holding me back from reaching my full potential in the things that were most important to me.

So I want to say to you today that it's ok if you don't get everything done that you prayed to be able to do. Heavenly Father is aware of what it is that we really need to do that day, and He will make sure that we can do what we really need to do that day. And maybe that day, what you really need to do is care for yourself. To stop and breathe and think and reflect. That does not make you a failure. It creates potential in you for greater success further on in life. That is ok.

Be aware when you pray that Heavenly Father is far more aware of our potential and our TRUE needs than we are. He will make sure that you will be able to do all that you NEED to do that day.