Gifts and Talents

Today I finally went to my optician's office at North Suburban Eye Specialists in Coon Rapids and had the left lens glued back into the clip-ons that fit my glasses. It's been months since the lens popped out the first time and I picked off the line of tacky glue which had held it in place. I've had to nurse the lens ever since. A few weeks ago, the wind picked it right out of the frame and dumped it at the feet of the woman walking behind me as we entered Walmart. She and I had a good laugh over that one!

As I waited for the optician to do her magic in the back room, I overheard another optician ask his friend if she was going to take boots with on her trip out west next week. She replied she wasn't going to ski this time because last time she went skiing, she fell and couldn't get up. They had a good laugh over that one! Now she looked pretty fit to me, and not all that old. She admitted to not really being too interested in skiing any more anyway. But I thought how if she chose, she could work out and strengthen her legs and ski again.

This evening my visiting teachers came over with a message about reading the scriptures daily. It ought to part of our routine, like eating, sleeping, and brushing our teeth. Well, I'm pretty good at eating and sleeping, and I love to floss and brush. (My dentist and his hygienist are impressed by how well I do!) But I've fallen short when it comes to consistently reading the scriptures. I've consistently done crossword and sudoku puzzles (to keep my aging brain from atrophying) and read other books, though.

I've been given so many gifts and talents. I count the gospel as the greatest gift because it explains the purpose of my being here on earth. I count music and writing as some of my talents because they seem to come naturally and give me such great pleasure. But lately I'm like the lens that keeps popping out and like muscles that haven't been used and don't work as they once did. I'm not staying in the right place, and I'm not staying strong. Every once in a while I told myself I could easily establish a daily routine to keep my gifts and talents fresh. But then I wouldn't make a list--a written commitment-- and slipped back into the easy course of television, puzzles, and books. Well, not from now on!!!

Starting tomorrow, my daily commitment will be to:
* read the scriptures at least 15 minutes a
* play the piano and sing at least one song
* write a poem and/or a journal entry of at least 50 words

These things I will do in the morning, "morning" being defined as prior to noon, before doing anything else, except maybe listening to Fox News as I wake up and get dressed.

As the King of Siam proclaims in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, The King and I, "So let it be written. So let it be done."

Good night.