Echo Canyon

Thursday evening my roomies and some friends went up to a cabin in the middle of the forest for some well deserved respite! What a glorious weekend it was! Not only did we get to spend time away from the rush and fast paced life we live in the city, but time actually escaped us pretty much all together. We stayed up late enjoying each others company with no power whatsoever and slept in later than I can remember doing, probably since the last time I was devastatingly ill. Friday we would have lost track of time all together except some more of our friends we coming up to stay and we needed to start dinner for them. We'd spent the whole day just playing, lounging, studying, and getting to know each other even better! It was awesome and for the first time since I was in elementary I stopped wearing a watch around my wrist. I am usually lost without it, but I'm testing out doctrine taught by Elder Maxwell, we are complete strangers to the earthly concept of time. This weekend proved it to me-we driven by the concept of time due to our cultures and competitive world. We push and we push ourselves and for what to fit more time in the day, week, or month.

This past week has taught me to embrace each new moment, pay attention to whom I'm with and give them my undivided attention. Quality time is so much better than quantity time. Listen and focus on those you are around, don't be distracted by the business of life or the technology that may frequently surround us. When I came home from the mission I refused to get a cell phone for the longest time. Once I did, I would leave it home with me as though it were a land line. I did the same on this trip, we didn't have service anyway and when I got home there were 17 missed calls and plenty of missed texts-slightly bordering on phone insanity. This yields me the amazing realization that I don't need my phone as often as I've convinced myself I do. In fact when I am with my family for Sunday dinner, anyone close to me knows I leave it either at home or in the car. Family time is precious-there isn't enough to begin with and I am not going to sacrifice that for anything else.

The pressures we place upon ourselves with always being available and accessible to everyone and their dog. As we drove home this evening I felt a sense of renewal, love, self, and overwhelming calmness. We clutter our lives with so much and then wonder why people have breakdowns, are all hyped up on anti-depressants, or even ulcers so prevalent in our lives. If we focused more on what we do with our time: with whom we talk, serve, love, play, or even give of ourselves, we would find an overwhelming amount of fulfillment. I was thinking about why I love the thing I do, whether it's hiking, climbing, boarding, biking, running, walking, fishing, singing, etc...it all boils down to-with whom I am doing what I'm doing.

Why do we spend our time in doing that is of little or no worth? If we aren't working on furthering or nurturing a relationship with another child of God, is it worth the time we invest? I will boldly declare, if it doesn't help another in one way or another, it is not worth our time, effort, or self. We are to be builders for that is why we've been saved for this time. To deny the distractions of this world and look forward to a much better world. As much as I love technology, it can be to our detriment. May we do all we do out of our deep love for Him, thanks for the time away and the natural beauties found therein.