Don't let your mortality get in the way...

My friend, Gena, shared a conversation she had with a friend with a terminal illness.  This friend knows she is dying and that her remaining time on earth is short.  And yet, she looks forward with an heart full of faith.  She knows where she is going.  She knows the body that is failing her is not "her".  It is a sacred temple, which houses her spirit, which is eternal and part of a Heavenly Family.  As she referenced what it will be like as time goes on, her health getting worse, and the distance between this life and the next narrowing, she wants the transition to be welcomed, as uncomplicated and as smooth as possible.  She said, "I'm not going to let my mortality get in the way."  This woman knows that inside of her body rests a spirit that will continue on long after her mortal shell has expired.  She knows this is not the end and therefore does not think with her mortal eyes, but her spiritual eyes.

This made me think about my own life.  Do I let my mortality get in the way sometimes?  No, I am not terminally ill.  But at times does my spirit - the eternal part of me, the part that existed before this life and will continue to exist in the next - want to shout at my mortal being, "Stop getting distracted with these temporary things!  Mortality is temporary!  It's only a part of your eternal experience!"  Will my spiritual eyes look back on this life here on earth and realize I focused too much on what was here, on things (possessions, hobbies, busy-ness) that would remain HERE, instead of focusing on what I CAN take with me (love cultivated for others by serving them, a testimony built unshakable by seeking the good, acquiring better understanding of God's word, applying the Atonement in my life and recognizing that my Savior's sacrifice was for me, personally).  The things of mortality that I am seeking and centering my energy on are not wrong.  They are all good things and serve a purpose.  But good doesn't mean they are better, and it certainly doesn't mean they are the best.  I'm so grateful that Gena shared the conversation with her friend.  It was a tender mercy and a gentle reminder that while seeking the good, I need to reserve time for the better and the best.  I must serve my spiritual ambitions as much or more than my mortal goals.

I mustn't let my mortality get in my way.