Lately (or rather, since purchasing a house) I have been fixated upon fixing things. I’ve fixed a TV, repaired a stand mixer, re-wired phone jacks, painted a fence, trapped rodents, resurfaced a counter, replaced screens, reorganized entertainment system wiring, cleaned a garage, and more. But the list of things still to do is longer than the list of things I’ve done, it feels like. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars, and there are hundreds more to be spent. Is all of this to-do wasted? Is it just hullabaloo? I think not, but . . .

Lately I’ve been reviewing my personal mission statement. I’m hard-pressed to find the parts in it that teach me to spend all of my free time working on my house. I’m hard-pressed to find the parts that encourage me to “lay up in store treasures upon earth.” I need to provide for my temporal body, and perhaps the work that I do is “creat[ing] something of beauty and hopefulness,” but I think I’m getting carried away.

All throughout my mission statement are phrases and commitments that focus on heavenly things. I don’t necessarily think I can’t pursue those heavenly things WHILE fixing my house, but I think at least SOME of the time needs to be spent intentionally focused on laying up treasures in heaven. Ok, let me rephrase that. I’ve specifically outlined in my mission statement the things that I think are important and that will bring me great joy. I’ve specifically established which “treasures in heaven” I’m excited about and working toward. But mending a baseboard or re-wiring an electrical outlet gets me 0% closer to being a more powerful priesthood holder or loving my neighbor better. The Lord has invited me to do a LOT of things, all of which get me closer to my goal, yet I’m focused on none of them as long as I’m fixated upon cleaning and polishing and sanding and repairing my own temporal house. Again, I’m not saying that fixing the house is bad, or that it should only be done when there’s a big problem. I am saying, though, that if I don’t have more—even much more—focus upon laying up heavenly treasures, or fixing up my eternal house, then I’m missing the point. Time to be more intentional toward spiritual things!

Bradley