Take a Step Back

Life isn't always what it seems and even if it is fairly close to what you think it seems, it's not. It takes a mighty thin pancake not to have two sides, and no matter how you view what is going on, there is always another side of the story. Whether that be a friend with whom you are arguing, or a parent who sets a rule that you disagree with, or even your plans and your dreams against your Father in Heaven's plans and dreams for you. Sometimes we go about our daily lives thinking that nothing is going to change, no big exciting event is going to change your life at all that day, but then you look back at the road you've traveled and you realize that you either took a wrong turn, climbed a huge mountain, or enjoyed the downward stretch. Or, maybe you wake up that morning with a different thought, one that has you looking forward at what lay just down the road. It may be a small hill, a little obstacle that will be easy to overcome, or perhaps, it will be your Everest. You wake up and you see that mountain, you see how hard it is going to be and you don't want to go. You don't want to be the one that walks this path, you want the easy path that you were on just days before. Every day there is another stretch of mountain to climb, and every day you get closer to the top. You don't always look at the trail you're on, and sometimes you forget that it's hard and you remember that it has always had the ability to be worthwhile. The path you walk isn't empty, however. You have the friends you met along the way. Their paths may be different, or not as rocky, but they are there with you. The paths you are walking will cross and you will be able to walk with them and enjoy the beauty of their company, but soon your paths will split and you will have to go on your own. You won't be alone though. There is always one man that will be there to help you and guide you in your journey and when you make it to the top he will be so proud. You will look back at the path you have walked with Him and He will say, "You did it. You made it." This man, this Savior, will never leave you, He will never make you walk your path alone and as hard as it may seem sometimes, or as alone as you may feel, He is always there. You can see Him in the sun that shines, the rainbows that grace the skies, flowers that pop out of sidewalk cracks, smiles from a friend, or even a good day with your family.

This last weekend I had the privilege to see my family during the Thanksgiving holiday. It was probably the best Thanksgiving I have had in all my life. Some people were missing, but for some reason, it didn't matter. The people who were there were so happy and loving that it was hard to think too much about those missing. We had so much to do with the people there and there was good food and conversation. It was truly a blessing. I never know how badly I missed living at home, until this last weekend. I was so sad when I had to come back to school. After spending time with my parents and my cousins, it seemed almost wrong to come back. Indeed, it is not wrong to come back to Snow, but it didn't feel right. The spirit had been so strong and so... there... that weekend and it was with me until the moment I walked into my apartment.It felt as if a physical part of me had been pulled away as the door opened and it made me want to cry and stay outside forever. This has been the way of the apartment for the entire semester, and quite frankly it makes my soul ache. The feeling of having that spirit pulled away. It hurt more than I had ever imagined it could and now that I'm here for so long, I can't wait to go back and feel of that love... that peace... It's so hard without it. I need it to function properly... I am not me without that perfect spirit.  My life is by no means perfect, but with the guiding spirit, it can be a little more so. I know that without it, things get hard and I don't treat people right, and I make excuses about why I don't do the things I should. Everything in life has a purpose, and at this time in the season, I can't help but think that my situation is only going to make things better, even if it is in a weird and unexpected sort of way.