I alluded to this in my last post, but I've been thinking more about it since...
It is easy to get frustrated with myself when I see growth cycles in my personal life:
"Here I go again, I get on a spiritual high, and then I drop and get distracted. When will I learn? Why do I keep doing this? "
Yet I see cycles all around me. Seasons, plants, rocks, tides - ebb and flow, continuous circles. The scriptures are full of examples of how people cycle through learning experiences. I am coming to realize that the cycle is not a problem. Human nature is to fall. And we reach for Christ and He picks us up. Over and over. It's why we're here - to grow closer to Him through these experiences. But those negative, discouraging thoughts when I'm in this process are the problem. They keep me low.
The most important thing is to recognize the cycle and turn to God as soon as I realize I'm drifting from Him. I will drift. It's part of life, but drift mode is not a great place to be. I waste time, I don't bless the lives I could be blessing, I build bad habits, I don't reach my daily potential.
Ironically, the best way to stay in drift mode is to be frustrated that I am in drift mode. It is easy to feel like giving up or to procrastinate getting in tune when I feel like it is no good to try because I always end up drifting again. How twisted that logic is! Of course I will drift again - is part of the growth cycle! Why do I expect differently?
Instead I want to be better at recognizing when I'm drifting - get excited that I've recognized it, ask for help, and get in tune as quickly as possible. No use wasting time in getting frustrated with the growth/repentance cycle.
My favorite part of the repentance cycle is when I get to start fresh with new goals and a motivated heart. So why not hurry to that part each time? Instead of procrastinating it because I'm afraid I'll get to do it again soon? It's a pretty exciting process when it comes down to it. And joyful. It's why Christ died after all.
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A couple of days after getting back from Yellowstone, we went camping with some friends in Manti to go to the Manti Pageant. It was in the middle of the week so our husbands couldn't go. It was Sara and I and our 14 kids. It helped that several of those 14 are old enough to help a lot! Especially with the tired children. But I still felt like we were pretty awesome super-moms for pulling it off.
Especially with two 2-year-olds and no running water in the campsite. The hardest thing was when Joy woke up around 2 am and screamed for like 30 minutes. Thankfully no one complained during it and she eventually went back to sleep :-)
The pageant was neat, but I have to admit that my favorite part was being with our awesome friends through the adventure.
More pictures:
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| We made a quick stop in Orem in between trips to say goodbye to my brother and his family who are were leaving to New York to live for year. We will miss them :( |
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| Then to our campsite! |
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| Then we explored Manti on the day of the pageant |
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| Pageant Night |
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| Relaxing and Breaking up Camp the next day |
Love, love, love it...sigh. Wish I could have been there! Now you two will have to do the Palmyra pageant, right?? With every one of those 14 children. :)
ReplyDeleteI tried talking Sara today into biking to New York with me and our kids to make it affordable for us. It would only take 2 months of we biked 50 miles per day, but she was realistic and said we probably couldn't make it past the first few hours :-( But hey, if the pioneers walked it, we can bike it right?!
DeleteI love your post! I am going to get that Amish parenting book. I have to tell you that when you were writing about having the kids in activities of their interest to help them reach some potential and how you are going to re-think that in regards to the benefit or not to your family, you comforted my aching heart!!! I have 6 sons and we have struggled financially most of my adult years. Many times I feel like I have failed as a mother because I haven't been able to put my kids into sports or music activities. When those guilt feelings come I wonder why Heavenly Father sent them to me when we haven't been able to give them those basic opportunities like most of their friends. Anyway, I felt great peace and comfort from your posts. Also, I wish I had seen you at the pageant. My youngest sons and I were in it and have been for 10 years. I hope you enjoyed it. My 3rd son was John Taylor in the Carthage Jail scene. My youngest two were Nephite warriors and pioneers (square dancers). Thank you for your posts, I love them and learn so much from them!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that rung true to your heart. It does to mine too - it is so hard to NOT take good opportunities when they are presented -but I just want to remember that classes may be good, but family time is better :-) It would have been cool to meet at the pageant - that is so cool that you guys have a tradition of it. What a neat thing to do together!
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ReplyDeleteYour posts and photos of the trip to Manti were inspiring. I don't know how you and your friend Sara managed to go camping alone with 14 children. Super-moms for sure! You look as though you all had a wonderful time together and I hope you are feeling refreshed and relaxed now.
ReplyDeleteAw. Thanks Andrea. It was really good. I am craving to do something like it again. There were tough times in the experience too, but it was worth it. I look back at it with fondness anyway. Thanks for your kind words!
ReplyDeleteAw. Thanks Andrea. It was really good. I am craving to do something like it again. There were tough times in the experience too, but it was worth it. I look back at it with fondness anyway. Thanks for your kind words!
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