Reminders and steps

“I told my toddler to clean up the mess that they made, but they didn’t!”

I heard someone say something similar to this recently.

To anyone who has studied child development, there are pretty clearly lots of different reasons why this toddler didn’t help.

The task may have been too broad and overwhelming, there may have been a distraction, they may not have understood exactly what the mom was wanting, it may have seemed like a boring thing to do, maybe they literally could not do it…

The possibilities are endless!

Anyone with a kid knows that just telling them to do something one time won’t immediately give you the lasting result that you may be hoping for.

And the funny thing that I think most of us forget is that we are exactly the same, no matter our age.

If I could just do what I was told to do all of the time, without any reminders or assistance, then I would never get frustrated, I’d have no sins, I’d never forget anything, and I’d just be perfect.

Keep the sabbath holy. Oh okay, got it!

Always be kind. Yup, perfect, I’ll do that now.

Make the temple a priority. Okay yes, done!

Nope.

Not realistic for anyone!

Not employees in the workplace. Not for us in our spiritual journeys. Not for little kids learning how to function.

So how do we do it?

Do we just throw our hands up in despair and think that our kids will never learn how to clean their messes up?

And that we’ll never figure out how to actually pray consistently?

Of course not.

“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little”. (Isaiah 28:10)

Little steps.

It’s breaking the big task into smaller chunks that are more achievable.

It’s feeling excitement when even just a little bit of progress is made.

It’s being okay of having to give, or even receiving, reminders over and over again.

And so much more.

God is a perfect teacher in the same way that we can attempt to be good teachers for the rising generation.

Step by step.

Line upon line.

Here a little and there a little.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black