Sabbath Devotional: Look Up!

Ten years ago, my husband had a dream of taking our family of eight on a backpacking trip to Havasupai in the Grand Canyon. This was no small feat! We spent weeks preparing, gathering, and buying all the things we needed to make this trip happen.

The week before our Havasupai trip was scheduled, we decided to go on a “trial run” to try out all our gear. Since it was summer in Phoenix, we loaded up the car and drove almost two hours north to cooler weather. In unexpected fashion, it poured rain the entire drive up!

I was already not terribly excited about the thought of backpacking with six kids ages 8–16, but in the rain? Not happening! And just to add some good drama to the trip, my then-13-year-old son realized, an hour into our drive, that he had forgotten his shoes. His shoes!

A quick stop at Walmart in the nearby town, and we were back on our way.

We pulled up to the trailhead for Horton Creek, an eight-mile round-trip hike located near Payson, Arizona, beneath the Mogollon Rim. And miracle of all miracles, there was a break in the clouds, and it stopped raining.

My husband was overjoyed and said, “Let’s go!”

Four miles to the springs, where we would set up camp and make some dinner.

I very grudgingly pulled myself out of the car and proceeded to start handing out everyone’s backpacks. Did I mention this was my husband’s dream?

I (not so subtly) voiced my concerns about whether it was a good idea to proceed when it might start raining again at any moment, but I was quickly outvoted.

We began the hike.

With deep sighs and lots of grumbling, I walked.

Just get through this. Four miles. I can do this.

So much mud. One foot in front of the other.

I made it half a mile.

Three and a half to go.

Watch out for that rock.

More mud.

Ugh. My feet are starting to hurt.

With each step I took, I thought about all the things I needed to do and couldn’t do because I was on a backpacking trip that I wasn’t excited about. I could hear my kids up ahead, laughing and talking, and I thought, Well, at least someone is having fun!

Then, out of nowhere, I heard the words:

“Look up!”

I was startled and looked up.

Do you know what I saw?

If you’ve ever been on a hike surrounded by beautiful scenery, I bet you do.

I saw green grass in the meadow. Deep green pine trees swaying in the gentle breeze. A bubbling, flowing creek. Moss-covered rocks. A gorgeous cobalt-blue sky with big, puffy clouds. Birds flying across the sky.

And do you know what else I saw?

Two of my daughters holding hands.

Another daughter helping a younger sister.

My son teasing and laughing with another sister.

And my husband with the hugest smile on his face.

A smile that comes when you put in the effort to create a family memory that no one will ever forget.

And I almost missed it.

I was so focused on looking down, just getting through it, and being stuck in my own bad attitude that I almost missed it all.

Seeing the glory and majesty of God’s creations — and the joy in my creations, my children — changed me.

Immediately, I was filled with love and gratitude, and my mood completely changed. It was a moment I have never forgotten and one I think about often.

Elder Carl B. Cook of the Seventy, speaking in the October 2011 General Conference, said:

“Experience has taught me that if we exercise our faith and look to God for help, we will not be overwhelmed with the burdens of life. We will not feel incapable of doing what we are called to do or need to do. We will be strengthened, and our lives will be filled with peace and joy. We will come to realize that most of what we worry about is not of eternal significance — and if it is, the Lord will help us. But we must have the faith to look up and the courage to follow His direction.”

When I am focused on my to-do lists and my own hard things, I often get weighed down by life. Life is so very hard at times!

But the moment I remember to just “Look up!”, I am changed.

I look to my blessings and remember what all of this is really about. I am filled with gratitude. I look up to the faces of my loved ones and know that I am not alone. I look to my Savior, and I feel His love.

So, when life has you looking down, look up!

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And as a fun aside to the story, there was a torrential downpour all night long as we camped next to that creek. We didn’t sleep much and just hoped our kids were OK, since they were sleeping in a different tent from my husband and me. We found out the next morning that the kids had been getting soaked all night! They were so worried and scared that they might get washed away or struck by lightning. They prayed together and ended up singing Primary songs for hours! The six of them totally bonded through their fear that night, and to this day, it remains one of their favorite memories together!

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Picture of author’s family hiking Horton Creek Trail, near Payson, AZ

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Julie Spilsbury is the faithful root director and WBP project manager at Mormon Women for Ethical Government.