Well, hello there…it’s been too long :) If you live in Utah, you know all too well and have experienced the dreaded February INVERSION. Let me describe this soupy polluted hazy mess to you…or wait maybe I just did! The “inversion” is a lovely brown/ gray cloud of smog that sits over the valley of the gorgeous Wasatch Front for only reasons Kevin Eubank, the weather man, and my husband (wanna be weather man) can explain. If you want my explanation…it’s just yuck and ugly. Sometimes this inversion lingers for just a few days and other times nearly a month. Day after day of this brown-gray hazy blocks all signs that the sky was ever blue and sun really does exist. When the inversion does lay hold, you find people in the valley, escaping or dreaming of escaping to a higher ground and FINALLY take in some of that GOOD CLEAN fresh mountain air. We were some of those escapers. My kids are “off track” from school and so now was a better time than ever to run for the hills! I packed the little chicks into the car with skis and snacks in tow. We made our way through the brown valley, to the mouth of the canyon to make our assent. Every mile we drove up that canyon, the sky became a little less brown and a little more blue until all of the sudden you were smooched on the cheek by the big blue glorious sky that radiated a color Crayola couldn’t even come up with a name for. As we drove through the canyon, everything was so crisp and clear. It was amazing to me that while I have seen this same blue sky my entire life and have felt that same warmth of the sun fill my body time and time again, this time felt like the first time. A new and deeper love for my earth and its Creator filled my soul. When we reached the ski resort, I sent Thing 2 and Thing 3 (pour Thing 1...we left her behind to get an education) off to fill their need for speed down the slopes, while Thing 4 and I went to the gorgeous Lodge to play, paint, and of course, eat Cheese-Its. Why wasn’t I skiing you ask…well, let’s just say it’s hard to teach this old dog new tricks. We found a lovely table right by the window. As we sat down, I looked out and was overcome at the beauty and clarity in every detail of my view. It was a perfect way to spend a day. Time passed, and our day was coming to a close when Thing 4 and I packed up our stuff, and went outside to watch the girls do a few last “ariels” off the bunny hill. With a small smile on my face, I closed my eyes for a moment. Took a deep breath and opened myself to the warmth of the sun to fill me up. Hoping that would hold me over until spring comes. Later than evening I was thinking about another good day we had experienced just a few days prior. Some of my girls and I met up with their Grammy and some aunties and cousins to go through the Provo City Center Temple. BTW…if you haven’t read the history and how this temple came to be, read here. One of the most striking aspects of that temple, for me, was the windows. They are beautiful. The rich detail of the encased moldings, their sheer height and breath-taking arched tops, and the vibrant colors in the stained glass…each and every detail executed with perfection. Taking it all in, I turned the corner and entered one of the gorgeous main ordinance rooms. As I slowly walked through this sacred room, the light from the windows seemed different. It seemed clearer. It was crisper. It was warmer. It seemed like…home. Reflecting in this experience, I realized that just as much as I craved to see the blue sky and warmth of the sun, after living in a brown soup for a week...my soul, our spirits crave even more, the light of Christ and the warmth our covenants found in the Temple of God. I often get bogged down in the day to day, in my own schedule, in the “nice and good” things of life, and especially bogged when the challenging times filter in. For me, when that happens, it’s really difficult to see past that inversion and haze. I am learning it is only when I seek for higher ground and go to the Mountain of the Lord, we can be truly filled by soaking up the light and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. That’s where the clear perspective lies. In a sacred experience of my own, I have had my eyes opened to the significance of our covenants. The power and protection they provide. The truth they teach. And peace in the possibilities of what we can become when we turn our lives over to Him. Next time I feel like soaking up some sun, I am realizing that more times than not, it is His Son that I really need.
1 Comment
Sherrie
2/18/2016 10:08:45 am
Perfect analogy. Like you I'm completely drawn to the Light, the Freshness & the complete Warnth Gid wants to share with us in all ways.
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