Who am I Pleasing?

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I lay in bed the other night thinking, "Man!  I am just failing at everything right now."  Thoughts of my calling, interactions with my husband, the never-ending clutter trail throughout my house, friends with whom I've failed to keep in contact, and undone tasks on my to-do list filled my mind.  Then I thought of my children and thought, "Wait, I can't say I've failed there."  It shocked me, really, to have this thought.  But it was true. Lately, I have been striving to focus on the needs of my kids.  I've been just a little more attentive here and sacrificed a little more time there to help each of them feel loved.  I smiled to myself. 

While meeting with a member of the stake presidency, a friend of mine expressed real concern with all she had to do and how overwhelmed she was feeling.  Our leader asked, "Tell me everyone you're trying to please right now."  She listed off all she was doing.  His response was, "That's a lot of gods to serve."  He then reminded her that there is really only one God to please each day.

There really is no possible way to hit every need with every person in our lives.  We can, however, be confident each day that we are pleasing our God.  As we kneel in prayer and converse with Him we can know what He would have us do and who we need to serve that day.  Sister Julie Beck once stated that if we are in tune with the Holy Ghost each day, "we will have disappointments but we won't be disappointed in ourselves."

Likewise, we were most recently reminded by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "The plan of salvation explains the purpose of creation and the conditions of mortality, including God's commandments, the need for a Savior, and the vital role of mortal and eternal families.  If we...do not establish our priorities in accord with this plan, we are in danger of serving other gods...We must never deviate from our paramount desire, which is to achieve eternal life.  we must never dilute our first priority - to have no other gods and to serve no other priorities ahead of God the father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ."

And so, each night, I am going to kneel again to my Father and ask if all was well done in His eyes.  I want to look back at each day able to say, "It is good."  I will still strive to improve those things in which I may be falling short, but I want to gain the confidence that my time and energy are spent as the Lord would have me do.