I decided to go up by Red Butte gardens to the Livingroom Saturday morning. I wanted to be in the mountains but couldn't go far from Salt Lake.
It was a beautiful morning. It had rained during the night but the sky was clearing up and it was nice and cool. I had started on the trail and passed a few people. This is a pretty busy trail with people biking or running up and around the area and Saturday morning was no different. There were a few spots in the beginning of the trail that were blocked off...so I had to take an alternate route. I didn't think it was that big of a deal...if I just keep going up I would eventually get there. Right?!?? I had my ipod on and I was listening to a talk from the last general conference...Elder Bednar was speaking about personal revelation...it made me think about my own communication with the Lord..
Sidenote: So those who know me well... know that on very rare occasions I can get distracted...and may at times get lost due to this problem. Well this was one of those extremely rare occasions.
Somehow I found myself off the trail and in the middle of a forest...ok so it wasn't a forest but there was brush all around me and I really couldn't see where I was going. I couldn't see far behind me...nor could I see much in front of me...all I saw was this...
....Yup a whole lotta trees and shrubs. So I decided I would follow my earlier plan and keep going up....I must have been walking in the "forest" for a good 20 minutes...before realizing that I hadn't seen anyone in that amount of time. Not one single person on this normally busy trail. I sat on a rock and was trying to decide what to do...the trees seemed to be closing in on me....:) ok not really...but there was this very "alone" feeling that I got all of sudden, After much deliberation I decided that I would continue going in the direction that feels "up"...then after about 30 minutes of wandering in the forest I finally walk out on to a path that looks familiar to me
...I finally knew exactly where I was. I was so surprised because I thought I was so far off the mark and that I wasn't even close to my destnation...but I was closer than I realized.
Ever feel like you are knee deep in it??...and by "it" I mean any dificult time, or trial, sadness or illness or just anything that feels like it may be too difficult to bear? Like you can't see the end anywhere in sight? I've had many times when I've felt like that...when I was in the thick of things...I couldn't see which way to go and I felt like I was the only one on this trail..but somehow...mostly when I'm just about to throw in the towel...something happens...like you finally find yourself back on a familiar trail and realize that the end really is in sight.
Things do eventually get better...even though it may not feel like it when you're in the midst of it all...in the corny words of the 90's pop group Wilson Philips If we can "hold on for one more day"...we may be able to actually pull through. (That quote was for you Donald..I know how much you love them :)) Hopefully we have people on the trail with us, helping us along, sharing the load, or just making us laugh so even the most difficult trails are bearable. You will get through this...things will get better...I promise.
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