Last weekend Marshall went with the boys in our church scout troop to our family beach cabin for a troop camp out. They call it a camp out but in truth it is just a nice dry place to be on a wet November evening. On this camp out none of the Young Men's Presidency attended. The YM secretary and a couple of fathers went. The camp out was planned by a young Deacon and a new member in the Ward who didn't really plan anything. Marshall has been on this same yearly camp out for several years now. When they got home I asked how the camp out went. Marshall said the had no set schedule, the boys stayed up until 4:00am playing Halo. No evening devotional or prayer was held. Everyone just woke up late and ate cereal, none wanted to put in the effort to make the pancakes. One Deacon refused to clean up some spilled food until finally another volunteered to do it. They left early after spending an hour on the beach. Several times during the evening Marshall thought this is a waste of my time. He has never felt this way before in all the years of coming with the boys.
I woke up this morning and thought about the huge difference that a little organization makes. How much more fun everyone has when there is an organized plan. The three older boys had separated themselves away from the younger boys on this camp out. They had played risk while the others played the video game. A young new Deacon separated himself away from the boys that stayed up all night and made himself a special area to sleep alone. Jason commented on how immature the younger boys were. No one bothered to teach those boys a different way that night. No one tried to bring order or the spirit to a church activity. There was not a leader that took charge, that people could look to for order and discipline, that made the group get along together and be together.
It made me think about the importance of order, schedule, and discipline in our lives. One of my favorite books is a set of lectures given at BYU on discipleship. I thought about my own life and how it had changed. For many years I was busy with my family and our lives had a set schedule. Now with just one child home I have more time and my schedule is much more open. I fill my time with many good things but I don't seem to be progressing in ways easy to define. I have recently started to take walks again. After our dog Rocky died, I stopped walking. I need to lose a little weight. I think about Aunt June who always had a papaya and cottage cheese for lunch and never gained weight. She also has tennis and golf dates that keep her in shape. She had put a plan for food and exercise in her life that made staying in good shape possible.
I think I need a plan and a schedule in my life, both with eating, exercise, scripture study, and with my creative activities. I do many things, but I'm not progressing in several areas that I would like to.
I think Heavenly Father's plan for us gives us the discipline we need to progress. Religion in our lives gives us a framework to shape our lives and move us forward. We have the free agency to add our own discipline to our lives. We have the freedom to choose how we spend our time and what we want to learn and do. The gospel teaches us what is important, and points out the best ways in life to spend our time, talents, and energies.
How wonderful a church mission is because it is a time of discipline and focus that shapes the individual and moves them forward in their own learning and then they in turn teach others.
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