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Chores

If I had known what I was getting into I never, never, never would have asked. I was about five years old. We lived on a ranch in the Lemhi Valley of Idaho, Hayden Creek. My dad bought a Guernsey milk cow and named her Buttercup. Every night and morning after Buttercup calved, dad would go out to milk her and that milk was good! To this day there is nothing as good as home-milked milk. I would go out with him and I would watch. I can still picture that barn in my mind. I can still see my dad sitting there milking a cow and squirting it into the cat’s mouth, even squirting it at me. I watched him do this and I thought “that looks like great fun!” I asked him if I could try it.

He finally said I could. That first milking of the cow turned into a twice a day chore for the rest of the years I lived at home. I quickly tired of it, but dad insisted, “No, that’s your job now.” And on it went from there. In addition, and in time, it was added to the milking, feed the stock, water the stock, do this, do that—every night—and every morning—rain or shine—hot or cold—no matter my school or sports schedule— I had chores to do, and dad made sure of it. We would come in from a long day in the saddle and dad would make sure we took care of the horses before we took care of ourselves. No matter that we worked in the fields from daylight to dark we still had to be up early and out late to get the chores done. Those chores were like a religion to him and he held me to it until I finally left home. I remember one night, long after dark, going out to milk the cow in a driving blizzard. I couldn’t find her. I stumbled through the snow and wind, colder than a popsicle until I finally found that cow and got the job done, because I knew my dad wouldn’t let me quit.

I cannot tell you how much I hated those chores then and how grateful I am for them now. A chore is defined as “1. an ordinary job that must be done regularly or 2. an unpleasant, boring, or difficult thing that must be done.” My chores were both.

A few weeks ago, I drove back up to the Valley and stopped by that old milk barn where it all started. It has since collapsed to the ground and is rotting away. It’s gone but what this child learned there, endures. I learned, through those chores, the value, and importance of work, and being steadfast at it, and never giving up. Thanks be to God for an old-fashioned dad who gave me chores that contributed to the welfare of my family. I believe it made me a better man.

Please consider a broader application of chores. A chore is an ordinary, sometimes boring or unpleasant job or task that must be done daily. Studies have shown that a number of benefits come to those who discipline themselves with daily “chores.” May I suggest just one, one of many, significant chore that typifies many that if done daily will change our future forever. “Cry unto Him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening” (Alma 34:21).

We have been given meaningful chores by the Almighty and asked to be diligent—which means to be attentively persistent in getting them done. How are we doing? How are you doing? Figuratively speaking about spiritual chores–are the cows still alive?

Source: https://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/chore