Week 8: Finding Joy in the Journey

I have a little tile plaque on my shelf with the vinyl words, "Find Joy in the Journey." I pass it everyday as I come down the stairs, into my living room and I often don't give it a second glance. Today, however, those words spoke more clearly to me then anything I've heard or seen all week! With 5 children and #6 on the way, I haven't really been feeling myself lately. Morning sickness (okay let's be honest--it's ALL DAY sickness) has struck me harder this pregnancy than any of my past pregnancies. The laundry feels like it's piled up to the sky, there are toys in places I didn't know toys could be, and all I want to do is take a nap. I'll admit that this particular "journey" is not one that I'm finding any joy in.

My beautiful little 4 year old thinks she is a princess, there isn't many places that she goes without a crown placed upon her head and those clippity-clappity plastic princess shoes upon her feet. This afternoon a well meaning friend of the family brought over several boxes of dress up clothes and in an INSTANT they were all over the living room. Dresses, clippy clapp shoes, and accessories were all strewn about carelessly. I couldn't wait to pick it all up and put it away....but then my 4 year old looked up at me with those big beautiful brown eyes and said, "Mommy, will you play dress ups with me?" NO! I thought...I need to do laundry, make lunch, pick all this up, clean the room, go grocery shopping, I'll play with you tomorrow when there isn't so much to do.... But then I caught a glimpse of that plaque that said "Find Joy in the Journey" and I remembered the words of President Monson when he said "...be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly." I knew right then that the chores could wait, what I needed right now was to play with my daughter and soak up every moment today because one day I'll run out of tomorrows. I'm so happy to share this amazing, inspirational talk with you this week. I'm sure many of you remember it, and that it touched your heart deeply as it did mind. Above all else remember to always find joy in your journey.

MP3 link

Finding Joy in the Journey

President Thomas S. Monson

Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family.

My dear brothers and sisters, I am humbled as I stand before you this morning. I ask for your faith and prayers in my behalf as I speak about those things which have been on my mind and which I have felt impressed to share with you.
I begin by mentioning one of the most inevitable aspects of our lives here upon the earth, and that is change. At one time or another we’ve all heard some form of the familiar adage: “Nothing is as constant as change.”
Throughout our lives, we must deal with change. Some changes are welcome; some are not. There are changes in our lives which are sudden, such as the unexpected passing of a loved one, an unforeseen illness, the loss of a possession we treasure. But most of the changes take place subtly and slowly.
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