Thursday, July 22, 2010

choose

I have been reflecting on my choice of word for the year......CHOOSE and I am realizing how much this makes sense for my experiences and even needs for this year. My time and energies are more limited, the interactions at work are more stressful, and the experiences with foster care have been so intense. The word keeps popping in my head that I have a choice. I am not doing very well at everything I set out to do this year. But I do have more control of how I will spend my time and even my attitude and mood despite what happens around me. I am choosing every day the very best thing for me and for my family or so I am trying. I am chooseing to respond with love, charity and kindness. I choose and am determined to find a balance in a busy life to do the things that really matter and have real worth. That is my choice and I have control of that. We are doing better.

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What really helped me find more clarity was getting ready for our youth pioneer trek. I read and read so many stories but one that my mom told me and later sent to me really stuck with me. There is an account of it in Undaunted by Lund.

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The pioneers who were sent to the hole in the rock in southern UT had no idea before hand the land or the conditions they would encounter. So at one point they found themselves at the top of a steep, rocky ravine. One of the male leaders of the group organized them and one by one they strapped horses and men to the wagons and down they went. Sliding and slipping the entire way! From there they had to cross and deep river. So this man left his wife and three young children including a newborn baby at the top of the hill as one by one they lowered the wagons. After all day of helping others and the night approaching he realized that most of the men and horses were already across the river and there would be no one to help his own family down the hill. So he climbed to the top to find his wife and children alone waiting for the men to help them down the steep hill. But there would be no one so he and his wife decided that they would do alone. So with one old, hurt horse his wife volunteered herself to be strapped to the wagon and she would hold it back from sliding the entire way down. She turned to her oldest and said stay away from the edge and gave the newborn to her 3 year old. They prayed to make alive.
When most of the other wagons took several horses and several men, this women and mother strapped herself to the wagon and down they began. It was steep and the old horse slipped right away pulling her down as well. She gathered her footing after a flesh tearing slide but the horse could not stand. So they creaped down dragging the old horse the entire way. They made it down alive and climbed to the top again to find her 3 young children singing songs, playing and the baby fast asleep.
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This is faith, courage and strength (Joshua 1:6)
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I have thought about all of their stories over and over. It is amazing that it still gives me strength and determination to push forward, not settle and not give in but to keep fighting when you have no idea how things will work out or how much more difficult it could get. I am so grateful for past and modern day pioneers. It is more than a legacy and more than an example.
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2 comments:

Daisy said...

Lis, you know I love pictures and I LOOOOOVE these. But the content was even better. Thank you for sharing. You have had some major life changes this year and I think you are doing absolutely amazing. I can only imagine the emotional roller-coaster you are on. Thank you for being an inspiration in so many ways.

Becky said...

Absolutely beautiful and so insightful. You truly are inspirational in so many ways.