Gerard Now is Time

 I read two things on Sunday that really struck me.  The first was a story in a conference talk by Elder Jack Gerard entitled Now Is the Time.  Just before a business trip, he began to experience chest pain.  His wife decided to accompany him out of concern.  The pain increased as they flew so after the first leg of the journey, they went to the hospital.  After tests, the doctors said he was safe to continue flying.  Just before landing, the captain came over the intercom and asked him to identify himself.  The flight attendants said he'd been misdiagnosed and an ambulance would be waiting to take him to the hospital.  He had a pulmonary embolism and would require surgery.  He might not survive the surgery, so the doctor said if there was anything in their lives they needed to consider, now was the time.

Elder Gerard went on to explain that this life is the time given us to prepare to meet God and that this life is a probationary state.  Each of us should take time to consider whether there is anything we need to adjust or repent of.  

I'm rereading Sister Wendy Nelson's book The Heavens are Open.  She tells an experience of President Eyring's.  When he was 13, his family moved from New Jersey to Utah.  He struggled with the changes and felt very sad and lonely and wasn't even enjoying things he had previously loved, such as basketball.  One day, an impression came to him that said, "Someday, when you know who you really are, you will be sorry you didn't use your time better."

Alma 34:32-33 says, "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."

LESSON LEARNED:  

Now is the time to form loving relationships with others and with the Savior.  Now is the time to prepare to return to God's presence.  It's so easy to get busy with good things and neglect the best things.  The past few months have given me an opportunity to reflect on what is most important...and in summary, it is relationships with others and with God.  It's all the things that help form these relationships...service, temple worship, honoring the Sabbath day, family history work, studying the scriptures, forgiving, repenting...and while other activities can be enriching and valuable, that is only true if they don't come at the expense of these most important things!