Steadiness

"And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God . . ." Alma 38:2

Every Thursday, I sojourn to my parents' house. I'm homeward bound for one reason. Or rather, I suppose, four reasons in one. I teach four different piano lessons on Thursdays. (One each to two little girls who live across the street from my parents', one to another neighbor closer to my own age, and one to my mother.) But coming home involves participating in small family traditions, especially now that my brother is home from his mission. One such newly revitalized tradition is family scripture study.

Before the lessons started, we read Alma 38 as a family. My mom read verse 2, and then as we read, she must have been thinking about it. She made the observation that Shiblon was a good son because he was steady. Then she looked up at me and said, "Katie's steady."

I found it an interesting statement to make. If anyone asked me to describe my character in five minutes or less, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't think of saying I'm steady. Stubborn, focused, happy . . . not steady. Facetious, smart, open . . . but again, not steady.

In fact, I admit that the word 'steady' brings to mind my physical balance when I first hear it. And in that instance, steady most certainly doesn't apply. (To wit: when we moved, I packed a box rather more full than I had thought. And when I attempted to carry it from the bedroom to the living room, I was tired, my balance was off-kilter, and . . . well . . . I more or less looked like a drunk. So much so, in fact, that the box--which donated kindly by Melissa's work once they'd removed the Dell computer that inhabited it--was thenceforth called 'the drunken Dell box.'_

My moods, too, tend toward the mercurial. As I've mentioned before, I've more Anne than Marilla in me.

I'm working on reaching conclusions. And the closest I can guess about what my mother may have meant is that I try to be unwavering in the things that matter. I'm steady in my church attendance. I try steadily work at my callings. In short, I try to establish good habits.

And perhaps that's all true steadiness is comprised of--habitually doing the things we know are good, true, and necessary for our salvation.