Is it time to cleanse your temple?

On 9/11/2001, we lived in Detroit. Our house was close to the airport, and I had become accustomed to hearing the planes take off and land at all hours of the day. But the sky remained eerily silent for a few days after 9/11.

My wife came home from the hospital on 9/11 after delivering our third child.

Her birth several days earlier involved a couple of life-threatening complications. I remember wondering what type of world we had brought our beautiful daughter into. Because of 9/11 and the troublesome delivery, I changed my professional goals and chose not to become a cardiologist.

For my family and me, 9/11 gave me time to ponder my priorities. I examined my life with a microscope and realized that it has become cluttered with the unimportant; an inner house cleaning was needed.

I adjusted my personal and professional priorities to better align with my clarified goals. I do not regret the decision. I met and worked with many people who blessed my life and my family in ways I could have never imagined.

We are now experiencing another slow-down of our lives, much longer and wide-spread than 9/11.

This pandemic is affecting millions of people throughout the world. Economies are crippled, and people are suffering and isolated. Family time was something people tried to get a couple of times a week, and now it’s every day. Many people are justifiably nervous and scared. While there are no easy answers to these current challenges, we can take Jesus Christ as our example and clear our lives of the clutter that keeps us from him.

In preparation for Passover, Christ cleaned out the temple of that which was not appropriate. “And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changer of money sitting: and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, take these things hence; make my Father’s house an house of merchandise (KJV John 2:14-16).”

Following 9/11, I “cleaned” my house and life of metaphorical clutter. Now, COVID-19 is allowing me to do it again. I have added things to my life that have distracted me from my purpose as a father, grandfather, and husband. I have stretched myself too thin at times and have taken on more than I could handle at the expense of time with my family. I am sure my situation is not unique.

The current health care crisis has allowed me to spend time with those most important to me. I do not have to overturn tables, but I could sit down at the dinner table. I do not need to drive out oxen or sheep, but I could turn off the TV and go for a walk with my wife and dogs. I could play a game with my daughters and be entertained by them rather than seeking entertainment elsewhere. I could spend a little more time reading scriptures instead of reading my social media feed.

It is still stressful not knowing when or if “things will get back to normal.” But if we take advantage of the time we have to connect with our families, forgive past offenses, and grow closer to Christ, we can find blessings in this trial. It is my hope and prayer that we will take advantage of the opportunity to “cleanse our temple” and find our new normal during this time of social isolation.

Dr. John Boston is a father, husband, grandfather, local physician, member of the Mat-Su Board of Trustees, and Colonel in the Alaska Air National Guard. He believes in Christ and is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.