insights from marriage and family class

"You will know no greater happiness than that found in your home. You will have no more serious obligation than that which you face in your home. The truest mark of your success in life will be the quality of your marriage." - Gordon B. Hinckley

In my Marriage and Family class today, the teacher started off the lecture by asking how many of us enjoyed hiking.  Of course, several people raised their hands. Then he asked how many people would like to hike with him to California (around 1000 miles). Only one person raised his hand. It was obvious that the effort that would be required was not worth the experience.

Then he began to offer us motivation, money.  He first asked who would go if he gave them $100. Nobody raised their hand. Next $10,000, this time several people in the class raised their hand (myself included).  Then he offered $1,000,000. Practically everyone in the class raised their hands. The effort that would be required to make the journey became worth it.  All the danger, fear, pain, struggles, fatigue, blisters, and misery became worth it, because of the reward.

Through the course of the lecture, he cited several apostles and prophets who testified to the wonderful nature of marriage (One of which I cited above). End basically ended with this following quote,

"Happiness in marriage and parenthood can exceed a thousand times any other happiness." - James E. Faust

He said, this quote may sound like a hyperbole, but the only thing wrong with this quote is that it is an understatement of what marriage and parenthood really offer. We as people can only comprehend a level of happiness that we've experienced, so as single people this statement merely tells us that we will be happier than we have ever experienced, because it is impossible for us to comprehend how amazing it truly will be. Which is hard for me to understand as well, but I believe it to be the case.

He then said, if we were willing to walk 1000 miles to California for $1,000,000, then (pointing at Pres. Faust's quote) what are we willing to do for that.

This comparison really hit home for me.  What am I willing to do to experience a happiness that is above and beyond what I can even comprehend?  Most importantly, how does this thought change what I am doing now?

I find it so easy to get lost.  At times life tosses me to and fro, and amid the beating and craziness I lose myself. I lose my focus on what is my purpose.  This obviously sounds depressing and rough, but thus is life. And I say that, because it is true. Life is about facing difficulty and strengthening our commitment and determination each time in such a way that we can overcome those difficulties.  Hopefully, if we are living right, then we will strengthen ourselves with Christ, because alone we truly are nothing. He is the answer to each one of our problems. He is the perfecter of our weaknesses, and it is through him that we can change and pass this test of life.

So, where should my focus be?

I felt something very profound at the end of my class when the teacher asked us, "What does God do for a living?" At first it seemed like the answer was obvious, but what he said penetrated my heart, "He is a full-time dad, an eternal father."