Adjust Your Eyes

I went skiing the other day (and it was AMAZING)... while I was up on the slopes, I learned some things from nature. We rode to the top of one lift and we were in a THICK cloud, you could see maybe 10 feet in front of you. As I timidly went forward, I saw a poor, little tree, I wish I'd had a camera to take a picture of. It looked like a combination of these two little guys (they still don't quite do it justice)...

I looked at the tree for a minute and I could tell it's had a rough winter. I wondered if it would ever have the possibility of seeing/feeling the sun, looking green again, and not be consumed by the snow and ice. So then I thought about life, isn't that sometimes how life feels? Being consumed by work, school, sorrows, etc. Even experiences you may be having where you can't quite see the light? I remember being on my mission for almost 6 months and having a freak out day where I thought I was going to be a missionary for the rest of my life, that's all I could see. So I was talking to my very wise companion and she said something to the effect of, "it's like you're in a tunnel right now. You can't quite see the beginning because you've been in the missionary world for awhile now, and you can't see the light at the end (with about a year to go), so just adjust your eyes." Very good advice. It helped me set the course for the next year of my life, to grow where I was and not wish for time or things to speed by me.

The other thought I had when I saw this nearly overcome tree was from a talk I read (which has been previously mentioned:)) with a quote by Albert Camus, "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." I know that's true, we all have something divine within us that allows us to overcome the sorrows and concerns of the world. I'm sure in just a matter of months that little tree will be standing strong and you'll be able to see what it really looks like with all that snow and ice melted away. I love the lessons nature teaches and that "all [these] things denote there is a God!" Have a lovely day.