"AHA" Moments

The stories we tell about each other matter very much.  The stories we tell ourselves about or own lives matter... and most of all the way we participate in each others stories its of deep importance.  I was very young when I started hearing stories about the poor.  During primary I heard plenty of this stories, and how Jesus wanted me to be a part of providing for them.  I believed that the only thing that they needed was material things such as food, clothing and shelter.  This always came attached to the scripture we've all heard over and over again.... 

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40)

For the past 2 and a half months I have been unemployed and the words "poor, in need, stress, and desperate" have gained new meaning in both my life as well as my wife's.  I've come to appreciate to a greater extent the picture of Christ attending the poor.

Why? you may ask... Well, as we can appreciate in the picture Christ is not carrying a bag of groceries, a wallet full of money, or a title to a new home (not that any of them would not be appreciated in times of need).  All he had to offer was true, unconditional love.  You see, I've come to appreciate the little things in life more now that I am going through troubled times myself.  I started worrying about less about the amount of time I spend making money (which its important... don't get me wrong) and more on the amount of time I want to spend with the ones I love.  I stopped caring more for the temporal matters in my family and started focusing on those that will lead towards our eternal salvation. I started focusing on what should I do to give others that true and unconditional love.  

Now, that's when the "AHA" moment happened!

I want my story to matter.  I believe that the best place to start it's at home.  My wife and my son, which are my everything and an important part of that story, will be the ones that benefit the most out of this.  It all comes down to one simple thing: QUALITY TIME.

You may be wondering what does all of this have to do with the picture of Christ with the poor, or what I learned in Primary as a kid? 

When Christ came to visit the poor, he came offering himself selflessly and his gospel which is based on true love.  Christ came to remind them that regardless of their situation, he cared, loved them and wanted to spend QUALITY TIME with them.  

As a result of this "AHA" moment I've come to the conclusion that The best inheritance a dad can give to his children and to his wife is a few minutes of his time each day.... Just like Jesus did.