Under Bright Starry Skies

We had a perfect ending to our Pioneer Week.  We spent the weekend camping at Brighton Meadows, a stake property near Wanship. My sisters-in-law had made arrangements for the whole Bishop family to get together for canoeing, zip lining, smores, and great company.

We arrived by covered wagon (it felt like we were going that slow on the bumpy dirt road) around 5:30 p.m. on Friday night.  As soon as our camp was set up we headed down to the lake.  We all took a quick turn on the zip line (Mason and I rode together) across the lake.  Fortunately for us, another family was there that had a rope with a seat, making it easier to get across without falling in the water.  (I was so disappointed to realize that I brought the camera, but I somehow misplaced the camera battery.  These pics are borrowed from the Brighton Meadows website.)

After our brief taste of adventure we headed back up to camp and roasted hot dogs over the fire.  As the sun set, the stars came out (along with the marshmallow roasters).  We sang and laugh and talked until our sleepy eyes led us to bed.

Shem and I were disappointed to learn that Mason's overly excited jumping during camp setup had popped our air mattress and we had a slow leak.  We asked in our prayers that we would be able to get a good night's sleep despite our gradual descent toward the hard ground below.  It was a tender mercy that we all slept peacefully until the sun came up around 6 am. Adam got up to go fishing on the lake with his cousins and then I pulled the "It's My Birthday" card and asked Shem to take the other wide-eyed boys out of the tent so I could sleep for another hour or so.

After a delicious camp breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage, the kids were ready to get wet.  Shem took them down to the lake while I stayed behind to help clean up.  Shem took Mason and Colin in a canoe and Kate and Adam dawned their life jackets and used the zip line as a transport to drop into the lake.  It wasn't long before Shem was doing the zip and drop too.

I played with Mason and Colin as the lake's edge and then we took a canoe ride.  After lunch Shem took the kids back down and Colin and I took a nap in a hammock.  When I got up I was pleasantly surprised to find my sister-in-law Esther had brought cupcakes and a candle so we had a little birthday party.  Then she gave me a gift that made me cry.

First she had me read the following story, "Discouragement - A Tool of the Devil" by an Unknown Author:

Once upon a time it was announced that the devil was going 

out of business and would sell all his equipment 

to those who were willing to pay the price.

On the big day of the sale, all his tools were attractively 

displayed. There were Envy, Jealousy, Hatred, 

Malice, Deceit, Sensuality, Pride, Idolatry, and other 

implements of evil display. Each of the tools was 

marked with its own price tag.

Over in the corner by itself was a harmless looking, 

wedge-shaped tool very much worn, but still it bore a
higher price than any of the others. Someone asked 

the devil what it was, and he answered, 

"That is Discouragement." The next question 

came quickly, "And why is it priced so high even though 

it is plain to see that it is worn more than these others?"

Because replied the devil, "It is more useful to me 

than all these others. I can pry open and get into 

a man's heart with that when I cannot get near him 

with any other too Once I get inside, I can use him 

in whatever way suits me best. It is worn well 

because I use it on everybody I can, 

and few people even know it belongs to me."

This tool was priced so high that no one could buy it, 

and to this day it has never been sold.

Then Esther handed me a wrapped gift.  Inside was a wooden box cleanly displaying a wedge-shaped tool with the words: "No longer a useful tool in this home."  Then through my tears I read the words at the bottom of the page, which before had been folded from my view.  "The high price was worth paying for you.  I have bought it, and now it's usefulness or non-usefulness belongs to you.  Never to be used again."

This gift touched my so deeply.  I have been allowing the wedge of discouragement to drive deeper and deeper into my heart in the past weeks.  With my heart so exposed it feels as if the Devil has been chiseling away at my faith and my hope.  I have been without strength and unwilling to face the trials that are mine to carry.  I have felt like my wounds kept reopening before they had time to heal and there was no hope for recovery.  And now, as I sat there with the tool in my hand I felt renewed strength.  Suddenly I had the knowledge and the opportunity to take the discouragement from my heart and by doing this protect myself from the other tools of the Adversary.

I'm so grateful to have felt so loved for my birthday, from Esther's gift to dinner with some girlfriends to birthday doughnuts from Val to all the calls, texts, and facebook posts to Shem's date night to Olive Garden and Harry Potter 7.2.  I feel renewed and hopeful and ready to press forward for another year, just thankfully not by handcart.