If I Only Had Today

I love to ask people, "Are you living the life you thought you would, when you planned it in your head?"  Most would say no, but I believe it is all by design! The funniest answer I received to that question is my friend who said the biggest difference between what was in her head and reality, was in her head, her kids didn't talk!  They just sat in the back of the Volvo with the cute outfits she had picked out for them! We know life is much different than this!

I perform with a women's dance group who put on a program celebrating womanhood and motherhood and testimonies of Jesus Christ called, Diamond Dance Company.  We dance while live singers sing and it truly is an awesome experience!  I choreographed a dance called "If I Only Had Today"--I love this song, because it reminds me what this life should be about.  TIME is one of our greatest blessings--how are we using it?  It is the one thing that makes this earthly experience uniquely mortal.  To God time is one eternal round; to us, it depicts our very life experience.  It defines us, because ultimately, what we spend our time on, determines WHO we will become.  At the end of a life, people define their success on how much time they spent on connecting, relationships, and who they developed themselves to be.

The song says: 
But if there were no more tomorrows, If I knew that I could not stay
I know how I'd spend every minute, If I only had today.
I'd hold you and listen, And I'd let the dishes sit in the sink.
I'd tell you I loved you over and over, And for once I'd just let the phone ring.
Then I'd remind you of forever, And how our love would never change
If I only had today.



Now we cannot plan exactly how our time will be spent here.  Most often, there are difficult things we go through.  Some are single, others of us have a special needs child, some suffer a divorce, haven't had children, others a health or mental challenge, some are dealing with a trial of their or their family's faith.  But I have always felt our trials are the very things that qualify us to live with God again! This last General Women's Meeting, Linda Reeves said the same as she related how a dear friend of hers had endured great sadness and trials although she had done all she could to live a good life.  She said: "Sister, I do not know why we have the many trials that we have, but it is my personal feeling that the reward is so great, ...we may feel to say to our merciful, loving Father, 'Was that all that was required?' I believe that if we could daily remember..the depth of that love our Heavenly Father and our Savior have for us, we would be willing to do anything to be back in Their presence....  What will it matter, dear sisters, what we suffered here, if in the end, those trials are the very things which qualify us for eternla life and exaltation...with our Father and Savior?"

My trials become blessings, not because they change, but because I CHANGE!  I'm on my knees more.  I'm at the temple more. I search the scriptures more, I'm more humble and teachable.  Let us press forward spending our time on that which matters most!  Dallin H. Oaks states:  "What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow--through our premature death of through His unexpected coming--what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What forgiveness would we extend? What testimonies would we share? If we would do those things then, why not now?"  There is POWER in faithful, positive women!  Let us spend our precious time lifting, encouraging, loving, and becoming!