Recent Revelation

If there's one word that describes my college english book its culture shock. Er, I guess that'd be two words wouldn't it? Either way, its been a real eye-opener.

I admit that I probably need to be more educated about what's out there. My only real view into 'the real world' comes from passing by the news channel on my way to my room and a couple whispered conversations held behind me in my art class. Other than that, I basically live in a Disney movie.

So when I started reading these stories in my advanced-placement english class, I began feeling really...small? I dont' know. Naive maybe. Just...not the most prepared person to face this crazy world. I still don't even know who has the right of way at an unmarked intersection for heaven's sake!

But some of these articles shocked me. The authors always seem to analyze, critique, and sort the principle right out of a work of art. Reserved beliefs and standards just seem to be foolish--even cowardly--to them. There's no wrong or right, just persuasive or narrative. It seems any sort of principle is thrown to the wind; art is simply art, take it or leave it.

And not all of them are like this. So far it's been decently balancd with some more lighter topics, but still! I'd always heard of these types of things in the world but I'd never actually experienced them in this way. And, somehow, I felt kind of wimpy in that way.

One day, though, after I got home and was beginning to wonder how I'd ever survive college life at this rate, I felt something. It was quiet feeling. One that calmed me. One that said my Heavenly Father knew me. And, though the world may have found my shock weak and foolish, He understood it. He. He who knew everything understood it. And because He knew me, He knew all of my goals, including college. Though it might not always be a piece of cake, He would be there. He'd sent me to the perfect place. The perfect family and the perfect neighborhood for what He had in store for me. And if I only trusted and followed Him, He would prepare me. I may not know everything, but I knew enough. As President Thomas S. Monson said, "The future is as bright as your faith."



We Seek After These Things

I attended a good friend's wedding reception this weekend. I had watched them take pictures the day before in my mother's emaculate yard. And, after a week of disturbing college-english assighnments, disheartening news reports, and gross conversations in my art class, it was really refreshing.

Here were these two people, completely and utterly in love and more happy than I think I'd ever seen them before. But, best of all, they were clean. Pure. I knew this couple well and they hadn't followed the normal trend of the world today. They didn't engage in any of the sickening habits that now fuel all the dramatic T.V. show series. They were faithful to themselves and each other. They deserved each other.

I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by couples like this. I catch my parents holding hands while we go on walks, watch my cousin and her husband creatively raise their small children, and hear my Seminary teacher get carried away with how wonderful he thinks his wife is. And I love it!!

I know not every marriage works out and not every child follows the ideal. I guess I'm just saying that we will find what we're looking for. There are pure things out there. There are parents who love each other. Children who nobly honor their parents. There are modest dresses, good movies, clean music, and honest people. There is joy and there is hope. However, like my two friends, we must seek after it. And it won't always be in the trends of the world. But they had their sights set on being clean and they worked at it.

And, judging by the fact that they couldn't seem to wipe those huge grins off their faces, the reward was totally worth it.

Yay for Rain!

There's a scripture I discovered in Seminary two years ago that, for whatever reason, stuck in my head. It's 1 Corinthians 10:13 and it reads,

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the tempation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

At the time I kind of just thought this meant the Lord would provide a yogurt next to the icecream or maybe a quick flashback of where the door was in the middle of a shady movie. Or maybe even a friend who pulls you from the temptation of being low on yourself. And I think this I part of it. But lately I've been able to see a slightly different example.

It was raining the other day and, where I come from, the gloomy metaphor of a rainy day doesn't make much sense. When it rains, people gasp and cheer. They go sit out on their porch to watch it or roll down their car windows to smell it. They mutter prayers of thanks and, at the beginging of my seminary class, I've even had a few of my classmates dart out the door to dance in it. As my seminary teacher so sarcastically put it, "You'd think we lived in Arizona or something."

So me and my baby brother went for a walk. It was just a little sprinkle at the time, nothing much. But, in reality, it was a whole lot.

We saw not one, but two rainbows, raced up a hill, got free laffy-taffys (thanks Alicia!), and passed a man with a skeptic look, "You're going for a walk in the rain?" he asked.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, throwing my head back and feeling the cool sprinkles on my face, "That's the best time to!"

We also saw my cousin and raced some more once we hit the dirt road of my uncle's farm. Seth began to open up on every topic from videogames to the weather. From kindergarten to our dogs. From  misquito bites to the 'secret ways' he saw on our path. His little voice and stuttered words could probably be heard the whole way.  

By the time we got back, I felt more relaxed than I'd felt in a long time. My perspective seemed a little clearer and my worries smaller. Despite the age difference of about twelve years, I even felt a little closer to the little boy wearing a monstertruck shirt and unmatching sweats and carrying two rotting corn cobs to throw into the ditch.

I think sometimes that 'way of escape' isn't always just an alternative to the temptation. Sometimes its just a moment to get things together. A good morning run, a moment of laughter, a few minutes for prayer and scriptures, a smile, or maybe even some much-needed sleep. He knows we go through a lot down here and I think likes to provide something to strengthen or enliven us so that when the temptation to do something--or not do something--shows up, we can turn it down. He knows we can.

As the end of the verse says, "but will with the tempation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

I believe He sees and enjoys those little things too. He created us each individually and knows what we need. He will never leave us comfortless.