Merry Sunday and other thoughts

There is something beautiful and elegant about a silhouette.
The extreme contrast of an object against a lighter background can have a magical effect.

I was in Lake Powell again this last week with a few of my friends.  The sunset was majestic the first night, and five of the fourteen people there ended up watching it from atop a hill that was close to camp.  None of us spoke and the silence was comfortable.  Sitting there watching something so miraculous was just enchanting and Spiritual- at least that is what I felt.  As I was sitting there my mind began to over flow with thoughts and symbols of what was happening around me.

I thought about the five of us sitting there.  We were all looking at the same scene, but each of us was taking something different from it- each experience was unique and personal.  I compared it to the life we live here on earth.  Each of us was sent here for the purpose to return to our Heavenly Father, some of us are even given similar experiences, but what we take from it is different, unique and personal.

That same night, on that same hill top as the sunset slowly faded into night and the contrast between the mountain tops and the sky became less visible one of my friends shared a thought that I really liked.  He asked me to imagine there was a lantern on top of a hill across the lake.  I did.  Then he went on to explain that our eyes would always been drawn to it.  At this point I was wondering where he was going with his analogy.  Then he asked if the lantern would be able to see us from where it was sitting.  I answered knowing that it would have no idea, especially since we were sitting in the dark.  My friend sharing the analogy concluded by saying, "You never know who could be watching you. . . hope you are sharing the right kind of light." He also quoted Matthew 5: 14-16, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
. . . . . . . Told you it was good.

Some of you may, or may not know this. . . But I DO NOT wish on shooting stars.  You may think me to be silly, or too mature, but I haven't for a long time.  I remember being a little girl and looking out my bedroom window at the stars.  I saw a shooting star and started wishing, but before I could finish my wish I stopped and felt foolish.  I knew that wishing was silly because after all how would my wish be answered?  Instead I started praying every time I saw a shooting star.  I knew that Heavenly Father answers prayers, I figured my wishes would be wasted if Heavenly Father knew what they were-  He is always willing to help out, if it is His will.
. . . .My prayers didn't consist of the same wishes that I used to caste upon shooting stars though- I felt silly wishing for things of the physical nature.  I started wishing instead for something I want with every fiber of my being.  Every shooting star that cross the sky in my sight I pray to Heavenly Father that I will make it back to Him, that I will make it to the Celestial Kingdom and live in His presence.  I was really young when I started doing this, and I still do it today- This is what I want, this is what I pray for.

Merry Sunday!