You Don't Know What You're Missing

I’ve been so busy this week that I haven’t had much time to blog, but I’ve been able to think here and there. And this week I’ve been thinking about this scripture in Isaiah 29:8 (also 2 Nephi 27:3)

It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

So many people in the world think they are satisfying their hunger with the way they live their lives doing whatever they want supposedly with no consequence and no one to answer to. They think that those who don’t satisfy their hunger in the same way are stupid, brainwashed, repressed, or so many other negative words. One day they will truly awaken and see that they have been trying to satisfy needs with temporary happiness and not things that will lead to true and eternal joy.

It made me think back to my junior high and high school days. My parents had taught me my whole life the standards the Lord sets for us to be close to Him and to be happy. My sister and I were often the only members of the church in our school growing up. (I have 5 brothers and sisters, but usually my sister Sheri was the only one in my school.) Luckily, I had some good friends who chose not to smoke or drink, but they didn’t have all of the same standards that I did. And most people in our school didn’t have any of the same standards we do. I often heard, “You don’t watch rated R movies? You won’t date until you’re 16? You’ve never even tried a beer?...You don’t know what you’re missing.”

It’s that last sentence that I’ve been thinking about lately. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

When it was time for me to go to college, I decided (a bit reluctantly, but knowing that’s what Heavenly Father wanted) to go to BYU. I moved to Utah, where I had never even visited before. I had some awesome roommates who let a lowly freshman move in with them. They were such good examples for me. Thanks Valerie (yep, same name), Andrea, KayLynn, Thommy and Francis!! We went to church, family home evening, and dances together. We even went boating down at Lake Powell together once. They were lots of fun and still spiritual and smart. (Imagine! Those can go together.)

One night after coming home from a dance and then stopping for a shake, I got a phone call from one of my high school friends. She was telling me all about this “great” party she went to. Since she didn’t drink, she was always the designated driver. She was telling me about drunk guys hitting on her and then how she drove her drunk friends home. One of them almost threw up in her car, but she was able to pull him out of her car in time and take him in his house. The whole time she was telling me this story, I thought of what people always told me. “You don’t know what you’re missing.” Really??? I had a great time with friends, dancing to fun and clean music with guys who respected me, and had a not-too-healthy, but not mind-altering, shake afterwards, walking home with my friends making plans for a family home evening activity we were in charge of. To me, there was NO comparison. I was so sad that my friend didn’t know what SHE was missing.
One day all the good people who just didn’t see what they were missing and all the people who deliberately defied what is good and right, will all awaken and see that their souls are empty. The world’s ways do not satisfy for long. I’m so grateful to know what so many people are missing and that I have the opportunity to learn what I need to do to progress and become more like Christ, our Savior.