I woke up this morning dreaming of Chile. Thats not unusual...normally I still wake up thinking I’m in that little mountain town. Sometimes its not so pleasent...like when I wake up thinking men have entered my room (my sister does not appreciate that I sleep with the light on)...or a dogs barking wakes me up and I want to go outside and shoo it from the hanging trash bags.
But today it was good. One of my last weeks we visited this tiny little town (well it didnt have enough streets to be called a town). We got up at 5 am to take a rickety old train that was so stuffed of people we stood squeezed by the doors. Eventually they all left and we went winding along and in between the green mountains. Every once in awhile I would wake up and see the huge Bio bio river twisting along with us. When it seemed like we had reached the edge of the earth we got off and saw our three streets of “Unihue”. It was 9 in the morning and everyone was sleeping but we saw the cutest little grandpa walking and he invited us in for breakfast. He took our coats and had us sit near the fire as his adorable wife gave us hot bread and tea. We taught them a lesson and sang some hymns with them. They said a prayer blessing us, gave us huge hugs and kisses and sent us into the sunshine. And that was how the day went. Wandering around little paths...looking for humans, eating apples and everything being so quiet.
Not a creepy or scary quiet. But a peaceful sunshiney quiet. Like nothing could ever really be that bad...because the trees are so pretty and the sky so bright and blue! And if everything else falls apart...we will always have the sky!
And I miss that. I have been home a month now and have found that kind of quiet almost nonexsistent here. It is so easy to get sucked into all the stuff that we have here. It is so easy to worry. Worry about college and clothes and money and callings and problems and problems and problems and problems.
And I went to bed last night just worried about a bunch of stuff that really doesnt matter much. So God reminded me of Unihue. Of a little town where people make bread and feed chickens and talk to their neighbors all day. And thats kind of how it should be. There is way too much stuff in this world. And we really need to focus on what matters most. On what our actual needs are...not wants...but needs.
Today there was a beautiful sunset. But I was so focused on trying to instantly decide what major to study at BYU...and where I was going to work...and how to pay for everything..and how many parasites I maybe still have...and how I am going to meet my goal of getting married next month (haha just kidding!)..and and and!
So its my own fault that I didnt stop to enjoy the sunset or that I hardly even acknoweldged its exsistence.
And it’s my fault that I only nodded, said “mmhmm” and kept reading when my little brother was trying to show me his newest wound.
God gives me...and all of us...plenty of blessings everyday. He gives us plenty of reasons to stop and look around and wake up a bit. He gives us plenty of opportunites to help others and develop those qualities that we say we want.
It’s just kind of hard to see it all with all the other stuff.
But God loves us. And He always wants to bless us and help us get away from all our distractions and little (or big) worries. He wants us all to have quiet and happy moments in “Unihue” and remember that we are here for a great and wonderful purpose! And life is Beautiful!
So we just need to stop and look up at the beautiful sky and enjoy it!
and bake bread
and go on a nature walk
and eat chocolate (why not?!)
