Fatherly advice

Dad taught me a powerful lesson this last summer. He and mom were out for a visit and I was complaining to him about how frustrated I was with my roommates. Our kitchen was always dirty, with the sink overflowing with pots and pans. I was tired of pulling my weight and theirs along with it.

Dad’s advice to me wasn’t to try this tactic or that. He taught me something that he learned as a missionary from Stephen R. Covey. In life there are things that we have complete control over, others that we have limited control over, and ones which we have no control over. When our control is limited or non-existent, there is no point in getting worked-up about it. In the end we can’t do anything to fix it, so why stress out for nothing? I tried to keep that in mind for the rest of the semester, and things seemed to improve a little.

Last week I needed to run to the store quickly before my home teachers came over. One of my roommates really needed to buy a few things, so I invited her to come along, thinking she wouldn’t take long. I finished buying my things and waited for a few minutes before finally calling her. She wasn’t even close to being done, but I had fifteen or so minutes until my home teachers were going to come. As the time ticked away I started becoming more anxious and annoyed. I texted her, reminding her that we really needed to leave! I also texted another roommate warning her that I would probably be late.

I was sitting on a bench in the store and fighting to control my feelings when suddenly dad’s advice came to my mind. My roommate needed to buy those items that very night so she could make a meal she needed to. I couldn’t control that, so why get angry? Rather than be upset, I chose to let it go, and I waited patiently. I think she was a little afraid that I’d tell her off when she got through the check-out stand, but I wasn’t upset at all by that point.

Upon arriving at home 5-10 minutes later than I had been hoping to, I discovered that one of my home teachers was sick and that the other had come over simply to see how we were doing. I was so grateful that I didn’t hurt my sweet roommate’s feelings by becoming angry when in the end her tardiness didn’t matter. Even if my home teachers had come over and I’d been late, becoming angry wouldn’t have been worth it.

Sometimes in life we need to stop and remember what is truly important.