One Eternal Round
You’ve heard this phrase before in the scriptures. God’s course is “one eternal round.” This shows up various times in the scriptures. I’ll include one of those references here, from D&C 35:1:
Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and forever.
I never really quite understood what “one eternal round” meant; I probably still don’t to a great degree. But I did read something a couple of months ago that gave some significant meaning to this concept for me. Elder Maxwell wrote the following:
Chesterton notes our low capacity for being able to deal with monotony and says in a moving passage: “It is possible that God says every morning, `Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes all daisies separately, but has never got tired of making them.” The divine delight in what seems to us to be mere repetition is one clue to the sublime character of God. Since we must, at times, accept what appears to us to be routine, repeated experiences, we too, if we try, can find fresh meaning and fresh joy in the repeated experiences. God’s course is one eternal round but it is not one monotonous round. God is never bored, for one who has perfect love is never bored. There is always so much to notice, so much to do, so many ways to help, so many possibilities to pursue (Neal A. Maxwell, A More Excellent Way, p.84-85).
And:
Repeatedly God has described His course as reiterative, “one eternal round”…. We mortals sometimes experience boredom in the routine repetition of our mortal tasks, including even good works; and thus vulnerable, we are urged not to grow weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9; D&C 64:33; 84:80; Alma 37:34). But given God’s divine love, there is no boredom on His part amid His repetitive work, for his course, though one eternal round, involves continuous redemption for His children; it is full of goodness and mercy as His long-suffering shows His love in action. In fact we cannot even comprehend the infinite blessings which await the faithful—”eye hath not seen, nor ear heard . . .” (1 Corinthians 2:9) (Neal A. Maxwell, Not My Will, But Thine, p.53-54).
Charity means never being bored with the routine of my life. Wow. (I guess I need to be praying that much harder for charity!) Seriously, though, once in a while I can catch a glimpse of what Elder Maxwell is talking about. When I really put my heart into my roles as wife and mother and homemaker (might I say I open my heart to these things?), I feel the Spirit. I have felt the Spirit baking bread, doing laundry, taking care of sick children, cooking a nutritious meal for my family. But, sadly, more often than not, I think of my days in terms of (boring, tedious) routine. And I often actively seek for a break from that routine. A break is not a bad thing in and of itself (!), but I sense from these quotes that I’m often missing the beauty of my daily to-dos, especially the ones that relate to my “most important” work in my home.
And so, I want to remember Elder Maxwell’s thoughts. It makes me think that perhaps there is nothing in our lives that can’t be part of our training for godhood; even the repetitious, tedious tasks can perhaps be teaching us something.
One last quote, from Joseph F. Smith:
After all, to do well those things which God ordained to be the common lot of all man-kind, is the truest greatness. To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman. One is universal and eternal greatness, the other is ephemeral. It is true that such secondary greatness may be added to that which we style commonplace; but when such secondary greatness is not added to that which is fundamental, it is merely an empty honor, and fades away from the common and universal good in life, even though it may find a place in the desultory pages of history. Our first care, after all, brings us back to that beautiful admonition of our Savior: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).
We should never be discouraged in those daily tasks which God has ordained to the common lot of man. Each day’s labor should be undertaken in a joyous spirit and with the thought and conviction that our happiness and eternal welfare depend upon doing well that which we ought to do, that which God has made it our duty to do. Many are unhappy because they imagine that they should be doing something unusual or something phenomenal. Some people would rather be the blossom of a tree and be admiringly seen than be an enduring part of the tree and live the commonplace life of the tree’s existence (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p.285-286).
Let us not be trying to substitute an artificial life for the true one. He is truly happy who can see and appreciate the beauty with which God has adorned the commonplace things of life (Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 40, pp. 752-3 Dec. 15, 1905).
One eternal round. Next time your life feels like an endless circle of daily to-dos, remember this: There is eternal significance in the sometimes seemingly insignificant stuff of our mortal lives.
July 12th, 2006 07:41
This was great for me to read today as I was attempting to introduce the potty to my son. You don’t need a whole lot of imagination to picture my day. It is easy to lose track of the long term goal when the “daily to-dos” as you said are constantly distracting us. Thanks for the message.
July 12th, 2006 08:37
Wow. This is outstanding. Wonderful quotes. Thank you so much.
July 12th, 2006 14:12
This is something that I’ve been working on for a couple of years now. Each year, I craft ’statements’ for the upcoming year. They’re something like a cross between an affirmation and a New Year’s resolution. From my most recent, which I’m just about to redo (a little late, as my birthday was almosta month ago):
“I will continue to improve as a mother and partner, to embrace the mundane and live it for the sacred obligation that it is, & find the joy inherent in service both to my family and beyond.” (see here, if interested.)
I love what President Smith said about the desire to be the bloom rather than the enduring part of the tree. What a spectacular way to put that into perspective!! There is a more abiding joy to be had in the everyday living. I’ve written somewhere about the ‘vilification of everyday life’ that all our emphasis on special moments and vacations and hobbies has brought about.
Those special times are special and exceptional, and it’s so important for each of us to see that and live that without allowing ourselves to invert the logic such that “if these times are the special ones, then the regular times are not” and therefore not only not to be valued, but almost disdianed.
The beauty of the exceptional moments in no way diminishes or dims the beauty of the everyday–the abiding, enduring, sustaining everyday. That visual of the tree is perfect. The blooms are lovely, but so is the tree itself!!
July 12th, 2006 16:51
Jen,
Ah, yes, potty training. What a day you have had! I’m glad this was a timely message. I am thinking I need to have it visible somewhere in my home…it has been so good for me today to have this back in the forefront of my mind.
Eric,
I am constatly amazed at the blessing the internet can be - that we can share with each other the gifts that heaven has given us. I’m glad this gift was something that benefited you as it has me.
Naiah,
Wonderful thoughts. One of the blessings your friendship has brought into my life is an increased desire to cherish more the roles of wife and mother. Thank you for your exmaple. And thank you for the thoughts you shared here.
With this idea of “embrace the mundane” — I’m thinking about what that means relative to gender roles as they are taught by the prophets. I hear sometimes people wanting these roles to change or to be more equalized, but I’m wondering if by so doing, we would possibly remove or alter potential “divine design” (think Proclamation) benefits/blessings that can come as we seek to accept and fulfill those divine roles. Any thoughts?
July 12th, 2006 18:19
Ah, yes, this WAS a good day for these quotes! From the time that hubby called to say he was on his way home to the time he got home, I had a son need attention from a wasp sting, and a daugther who was tentatively diagnosed with CHICKEN POX! (That even with the vaccination.) I guess hubby wasn’t surprised when he then found that dinner was not close to being started yet. Ah, the stuff of life!
July 13th, 2006 10:44
I do have thoughts, but you’ve got the gist of it here. Much of this earthly ideal of ‘fairness’ and ‘equality’ while it seems to benefit us in one light, does in fact rob us of reverence and respect for the unique, beautiful, and useful natures of our individual roles. The modern ideal of entitlement to leisure robs us still further–sapping the beauty from the very sweat of our brows by which we are commanded to live. When we adopt more faith and humility we can see that ’same’ is not synonymous with ‘fair’– that ‘fair’ in both the sense of ‘just’ and of ‘beautiful’ is in fact to realize, recognize, fulfill, and magnify our individual spheres–whether we be a cultural, political, or religious leader of many with great influence and sway in one area, or a mother of just a few with great influence and sway over every aspect of their formative years.
What a day you had. I laughed so hard after you called to get the recipe for the bee sting paste. Such chaos is part of the beauty of it all–just like the crashing waves on the beautiful sea, y’know?
July 13th, 2006 12:23
Some wonderful quotes for me to read as I started out this day with laundry, cleaning, dishes and so forth. I have been a stay at home mom for 19 years and I plan on having many more (I have a 6 month old). But off and on through the years I have felt very tired of some of the repetition in my life. Feeling that laundry never ends, dirty dishes are constantly being made, one meal is over and another needs to be thought about. I think you all know what I mean. I have been trying to see the eternal purpose in what I do each day. For example, I change diapers without complaint because 1)I know babies don’t wear diapers forever, they do eventually toilet train and 2)I am serving this little person, doing something for her that she cannot do herself. So I do it with love.
I appreciate the thought that there can be joy in repetition, that there is purpose in repetition. Especially when so much of my life is repetition.
My thoughts on this don’t seem to be very organized, but I have a sad baby (shots yesterday) so I think I will leave them this way.
Thank you for the post.
July 13th, 2006 12:50
Karen,
Thank you for your thoughts. Hats off to you for all you have done and do for your family! Seriously…I’ve only been doing the SAHM thing for 7 1/2 years…these quotes are ones I need to have in a prominent place.
I have to believe that what we do is also for us — it is part of our eternal refining and growth. Hard to see when we are in the middle of it all, though….