Reminders

I am not one that enjoys leaving the house for broadcasts, be it Women's Conference or General Conference, and maybe it's bad to admit that! Take for instance General Conference - after battling traffic to get into SLC and finding a parking spot, hustling to the conference building, wearing uncomfortable sunday clothes and freezing to death while listening to coughing and sneezing...let's just say I get highly distracted.  I can be more focused and at peace listening to conference while holding a warm cinnamon roll in my hand all cozied up in my pj's with a notebook, pencil and messy hair.  So, needless to say, I was not thrilled about leaving my home to watch it.  Luckily a nearby friend was hosting a mini broadcast at her home, but I still was thinking about those feelings of inconvenience and taking up precious time, when on my drive over I saw a sweet girl dressed in her sunday best, being pushed in a wheelchair on the sidewalk by an older man.  She couldn't control her arms and as far as I could see, couldn't really control much else.  I don't know where she was going, but I envisioned her being pushed to a nearby chapel in order to at least be able to listen to the words and feel peace and comfort.  

I felt many emotions after seeing her.  I felt gratitude for my body and mind.  I felt regret for being so selfish to think of "my time" as more important than messages from the Lord.  I felt a renewed desire to listen intently to the messages that were going to be shared with women around the world, from women who were inspired to share them.  That broadcast was one of the most impactful I had ever listened to - especially the talks shared by Sister Burton and Sister Stevens.  I loved the simplicity of our covenants we made at baptism and what we can do to prepare ourselves spiritually, and the focus on the temple and why it is such a blessing in our lives.

I hope it doesn't take stark reminders like this to help me be more focused on the important things in life.