Looking Up

Lately, I’ve been staring at the clouds. It is something I haven’t done much since my childhood days–twirling in circles until I was so dizzy I’d fall down and watch them spin and spin. Now that I am older, spinning has lost all of its previous excitement. Feeling dizzy like that is no longer fun! Now when I watch clouds I actually stop what I’m doing, find a cozy place to lay down and then I look up. I have done this in many places recently—my own front yard, the mountains at a youth camp and a crowded beach at Lake Tahoe. Each time I have come away feeling rejuvenated, peaceful and loved.

All this cloud watching has me thinking and I have asked myself these questions:

• Spiritually speaking, how am I doing at looking up?

• Am I remembering God in my summer planning?

• Am I recognizing His hand in my life?

• Am I sitting with him, spending time in His word?

• Am I listening for what He has to tell me?

• Am I giving thanks for grace and asking for strength?

• Am I doing what I need to feel rejuvenated, peaceful and loved?

Not long ago I visited with a fellow mom who was lamenting the fact that she had really good intentions for the summer and in the first two weeks all those plans had already fallen apart. I can relate. With sports practices and swim lessons, barbecues and firework shows, vacations and family reunions it is EASY to be distracted. To look around instead of up. It is easy to compare our lives to those of our friends, neighbors and even strangers. It is easy to fall out of the holy habits and righteous routines we stick to during other times of the year. It is easy to measure our current situations against our good intentions and feel we are falling short.

Thomas S. Monson once said, “Remember, it is better to look up!’“ and he was so right! Life in the summer (and all the other seasons too) is noticeably better when I remember to look up, because:

Looking up changes my perspective.

Looking up reminds me who I am and whose I am.

Looking up eliminates comparison.

Looking up creates peace.

Looking up strengthens me.

Looking up helps me feel God’s love.

What if we could write it on our hearts that amid the summer chaos we can still look up? Even if the way we look up right now is different than at other times of the year? Even if we feel busier and more distracted than usual? What if we could commit to being a little more creative in how we stay spiritually connected to our God and our Savior?

Would it be worth it to try? Would it change your summer? I can tell you it is most definitely changing mine.

“I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” —Psalm 91:2