What Lack I Yet?

I really like to make goals. I make daily checklists, and weekly challenges. I have a vision board. I love New Year's Resolutions. 

So in October 2015, while I was listening to LDS General Conference on Saturday afternoon, I was struck by a couple of talks about becoming better. First, Sister Neill F Marriott discussed “Yielding Our Hearts to God”:

I have found that after I pray for forgiveness of sins, it is instructive for me to ask Heavenly Father, “Father, is there more?” When we are yielded and still, our minds can be directed to something more we may need to change—something that is limiting our capacity to receive spiritual guidance or even healing and help.

Then, directly following Sister Marriott, Elder Larry Lawrence spoke on “What Lack IYet?”

However, we need to ask the Lord for directions along the way. We have to ask some difficult questions, like “What do I need to change?” “How can I improve?” “What weakness needs strengthening?”

Aha! I felt like something very important had fallen into place. I didn’t need to think of goals on my own. I need to ask God, and then I need to follow His direction.

So a couple of days later, I decided to kneel and ask for that direction. Like the rich young man Matthew writes of, I wanted to ask, “What lack I yet?” Accordingly, I knelt down that morning with the intent to take whatever direction I received. As I thought of what I needed to improve, I thought of scripture study, service to others, housework—so many things I could be more diligent about. But, instead, almost immediately as I asked my question, these words came into my mind, as clear as anything, as though someone were speaking to me: “Lighten up!”

Lighten up. I knew it was revelation, for it was not what I would tell myself. I stood up in surprise, and ever since then I have been thinking of what that means. What does it mean to “Lighten up.”

For one thing, it means to relax, chill out. Don’t be so hard on yourself. What a great message from a loving Heavenly Father. I think it means that life is not a list to be checked off. It means to see others with love and gratitude. It means to see myself that same way. It means God sees me with love and gratitude. 

It means I let go of worry and accept faith.  

It means life is filled with light.

This is harder, in some ways, than a checklist, but so much better and so much happier. Now I just want to learn how to "lighten up."

I have an uncontrollable urge to write a list.

And by the way, this is my revelation. Who knows what the Lord might tell you?

"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:24