Can ye feel so now?

Motherhood is wonderful. Housewifehood can sometimes be the pits. I fell into one of these pits this week while dealing with kids with the stomach flu. Of all illnesses that my kids pick up, that is the hardest on me physically because there is so much additional cleaning that has to be done. Washing the bedding of the sick kids, sanitizing the bathrooms over and over, cleaning up the floors. Not fun. Other illnesses cause me more concern, while the stomach flu is just annoying. Anyway, while facing the moutains of laundry, the growing piles of dishes, the toothpaste smeared bathrooms, and the ever increasing obstacle course of toys on the floor I felt I was being pulled into the gulf of misery and endless woe. Knowing I was losing it and needed more strength than my own, I turned to the scriptures for a minute. I happen to be reading in Alma 5, where Alma has given up the position of chief judge so he can personally go preach unto his people. He reminds them of the blessings their fathers received, and the joy they have felt as well. One of my favorite parts is when he asks, "if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?" At that moment I had forgotten the joy, and I realized that I needed to do better on seeking to feel this joy. I think that pride is not the only thing that can drag us away from what is truly important, but the trials of everyday life can also distract us from the way of happiness. Anyway, I'm grateful to Alma for the little kick in the pants. As I've tried to do better on keeping focused on the important things, I've found that the daily drudgery of laundry, dishes, and dirt don't seem so bad. In addition, as those things are no longer such a huge distraction, I am finding more joy in the most important part of being at home - my kids. Anyway, life is all about learning, and I hope this is a point I can remember because life is for having joy, not just doing laundry.