As we deal patiently with the limitations of reality

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Women's Session of the October 1993 Conference.

I liked all the talks in this Women's Session. This General Relief Society Presidency was so great! I remember hearing Sister Clyde and Sister Okazaki and Sister Jack speak when I was younger, but I don't think I was able to appreciate their talks like I do now. They're amazing!

Some of my favorite parts had to do with receiving God's help in managing our homes. Sister Okazaki said:

All of us face different family circumstances and home situations. All of us need strength in dealing with them. This strength comes from faith in the Savior’s love and in the power of his atonement. If we trustingly put our hand in the Savior’s, we can claim the promise of the sacramental prayer to always have his Spirit with us. All problems are manageable with that strength, and all other problems are secondary in urgency to maintaining a strong spiritual life.

…If we always have Christ’s Spirit with us, we will have a wise consultant when we are perplexed by our children’s needs. We will receive help in making correct decisions and strength in carrying them out. We will give and receive loyal friendship, and feel in ourselves when the advice we receive from others is truly suited to our needs. We will hold a clear vision of gospel ideals and aspire toward them even as we deal patiently with the limitations of reality.

And Sister Jeanne Inouye said:

As I have attempted to establish priorities, I have learned that we may almost always have too much to do. As a mother at home with only two children, I have too much to do. How much greater the demands are for women who work outside the home or whose families are large or who are parenting their children alone! As I think about our time constraints, I conclude that God has not intended that we should be able to do everything we would like to do. If there were not more to do than we are individually capable of doing, we wouldn’t have to make choices and we would never realize what we value most.

…Another source of courage has been the experiences that have taught me that God will give mothers guidance concerning the individual needs of their children. Some of my most fervent prayers have been for blessings for my children and for guidance in directing them. While answers have most often come in the peaceful confirmation of a planned course of action, I have sometimes been surprised with the clarity of new ideas presented to my mind.

God will do much more. Every woman who has raised children worries about the mistakes she has made. I feel deep sorrow when I realize that I have hurt my children’s feelings, been impatient, or let opportunities to bless them slip by. But each of us may have hope in the atonement of Christ, not only that we may repent and be forgiven but that through his grace our children can be healed of the emotional wounds we may have inflicted and compensated for the errors we may have made.