A scripture answer

Last week I was reading from my mission journal, and I realized how much I missed the power of serving and the feeling I had when someone's life was changed because of the gospel. So I decided I wanted to start volunteering, or serving somewhere, or go back to the temple (I served at the temple last year). On Saturday I had to work and it was a slow day (thanks to a holiday weekend!) so I started making a list of everything I was involved in now and the hours I was committed to something. I wanted to be able to see what hours I could put in to my new surprise mission work and see when I had spare time to fill.

I was counting all my hours and thinking of what my next service project could be, when one of my co-workers asked what I was doing. I explained to him how I wanted to ration out my time and see what extra hours I had to fill up with a new service project. The look on his face was priceless!! He did NOT agree with my process of managing time. AT ALL. He told me that we are not required to be serving or working every second of the day, but that we should be giving our all to the point of life we're at. He explained that there are different points of life that need all of our focus. At one point we go to school, or get married, or work, or have kids, or serve missions, but they are all at different times of life and we should be focusing only on the point of life we are in. That means giving our best and our all to what we are doing, and not trying to do all of those different things at once. (When he started going off, I just stood there and smiled because he wasn't stopping anytime soon!!) He pointed out that at the end of the year he was going to start his residency, and the hours and work that were required would take 90% of his time. Being that it was the point of life he was at, he knew he needed to focus on it and put all of his effort into doing the best he could. That's when I cut in and pointed out that his wife that's 7 months pregnant with their first child should be his focus!!!! OH MY! But he argued and said that the focus and time he will put into his residency would be for his family and their greater good. I couldn't argue with that and I couldn't think of any other argument, so my list of daily hours was destroyed!! HAHAHAHA!! I hate not being able to think of an argument fast enough!!!

But my true answer came later that night, when I was reading my scriptures. Remember when Alma said he would like to be an angel so he could “speak with the trump of God, … to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!” (Alma 29:1). He then said, “But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me... Why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called?” (Alma 29:3, 6). My answer was that I don't need to add anything, but I should be focusing and putting my all into what I'm already doing. I am not called as a missionary anymore, no matter how much I want to be, and I am sinning like Alma did because I should be content with the 4 callings I have and be happy with the point of life that I'm in, which is getting an education. I am so grateful for the scriptures and the testimony I gained this week of performing the work which I have currently been called to and not desiring anything more. Hopefully one day we'll all be happy with what we have and quit wishing for something else!! =)