My Spiritual Blinders

After a long and exhausting day I began the drive to Payson, Utah. For some reason I've chosen the LDS temple in this area as my place of refuge. I remember walking through the hallways and rooms of this beautiful building and falling in love with all of the delicate details on the railings and windows. The peace I felt (and still feel) was truly unforgettable.

Whatever was weighing on my mind must have weighed so much that I became completely oblivious to my surroundings. Somewhere in between my troubled thoughts and the words of the song playing on the radio, my blinders came on and I eventually found myself in Santaquin. Annoyed, I got off at the next exit and turned around, headed back to where I had originally intended to go.

It was during one of these times that I had accidentally traveled past my intended destination (which has happened more than it hasn't) that I learned a very valuable lesson: sometimes the things of this world can become so distracting that we easily forget what is the most important, even if we first intended to travel in the right direction.

This isn't the only time these "blinders" have kept me from reaching where I wanted to end up. My week usually starts out with me deciding to be a diligent scripture reader and avid calorie counter. Sometimes I don't even make it to Tuesday when the words of Facebook become more enticing than the words of Isaiah and the peanut m&m's hidden in my bottom drawer break the daily caloric intake limit before noon.

There have been times where even though I knew I wanted to live righteously, breaking a commandment or falling into the temptation of sin became seemingly more attractive than being "honest, true, chaste, benevolent, [and] virtuous..." (The Articles of Faith #13) There have been years where I haven't followed the warning in Alma 34:33 - "And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."

Thankfully, I always notice that I pass the temple before traveling too much farther. Even though having to turn around is frustrating, I'm still able to go back. Yes, it takes time and in fact, it takes even more time than it would have if I just payed more attention in the first place, but lucky for me, my rubber-flapping-creeper-white-mom-van has the ability to turn around (you can read about the fun adventures of my car by clicking here).

Even when I've felt the darkest, the most alone, frightened, insecure, or hopeless because of something I've done or something I wasn't doing, there has still been the opportunity for me to turn around and go back. Depending on how far off of my intended destination I had allowed myself to travel while wearing those darned blinders, I would still have to travel quite the distance to get back to where I wanted to be, but the beautiful blessing in all of that bleak darkness is that no matter where I went or how far I went, I could still turn around. I could still be engulfed in light, instead of dark. I could still be happy, full of joy, and fulfillment rather than dreariness and despair. My life could still have purpose and meaning and I wouldn't have to feel like the effort to get through it all was pointless.

"One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final." 

-Thomas S. Monson [The Will Within - April 1987]

I think the best part about venturing into unfamiliar territories is the sweet joy that fills us once we return to where we truly want to be. It's a beautiful thing to have as many second chances as we need in order to better ourselves. I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and Brother, who make it possible for me to be able to "turn around". Without the Atonement, I would have been lost a long, long time ago.

What a special time it is; a time for us to be able to reflect on and remember the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I hope that in these last remaining days, despite the hustle and bustle to complete our shopping lists and make it to our family parties, we take off our spiritual blinders and take the time to pause and think of Him. Think of His life. Think of His sacrifice. Think of His love, patience, and kindness. Because truly, we have so much to be thankful for.

"The glitter of the season should never... prevent us from truly seeing the Prince of Peace."

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

Merry Christmas!