Escapes or Traps?

6:30am. Wake up. Prepare for the day. Go to church. Visit with family and relatives. Take parents to the airport. Listen to friends’ struggles. Ward prayer. Receive a practice missionary lesson. Plan FHE. Scripture study. Such was my day on Sunday. I was exhausted and didn’t necessarily want to do all those things, but the happiness I felt at the end of that day surpassed anything I’ve felt in a long time. In contrast, other days I’ve tried to escape by reading a good book or watching a TV show. Sometimes such activities have helped me to relax. At other times I can’t stop participating in the activity, even though I have assignments and/or projects and tests that need doing. What was meant to be an escape turned into a trap. Choose your escapes carefully. Determine what you are trying to escape from. If you are trying to escape from something good simply because it is hard, you will miss out on the good that would come from that opportunity. The times I have been happiest are when I choose to do something good - particularly when trying to come closer to God and His Son and trying to serve others - even when I didn’t want to do it.