This Christmas season it looked as though I was only going to have a short break from work for which I was going to be able to go home for Christmas. While I wasn't thrilled by the idea of not having much time to spend at home with the family, there was a part of me that was looking forward to having the apartment to myself, to have the calm, quiet Sunday afternoon that I been longing for. In short, I was looking forward to some quality time alone.
As it turned out, I got the entire last two weeks of the year on paid leave so I was suddenly going to be able to go home for almost two weeks. I was excited! I was still going to have to stay in Provo for a few extra days to take care of a few things on Monday, but then I was free to go whenever I so desired (weather permitting). I like taking small road trips alone where I can turn up the music, sing alone at the top of my lungs and just cruise. And since I was going to have to stay, I was still going to get the time alone that I wanted and the time at home with my family that I also wanted. It was going to be the best of both worlds. I was even thinking of delaying my departure by a day to get a little more time to myself.
So as finals began to wind down, my friends began to leave town to be home for the holidays. All of my roommates live fairly close by (within an hour or so) so they could come and go as they pleased. They were all planning on taking advantage of the time off from classes to work a little more since we are after all college students. Sunday, right after church, the two remaining roommates headed north to be with their family for some family activities, although they were going to return late that so that they could work on Monday.
My much awaited quality time with myself was here. I had thought of so many things that morning that I was going to do with my quiet Sunday afternoon to myself. It wasn't until they had left that I realized what it is that I love the most about the Sabbath. Standing at the window, trying to decide which item from my list I was going to do first, listening to Josh Groban sing I'll Be Home For Christmas it dawned on me. The part of Sundays that I love the most is the time with those that I love. While I would prefer a quieter Sunday than what my roommates provide, I love spending time with them. I had a list of things that I wanted to do every Sunday, including writing in my Journal, calling Home, writing my mission president, and planning out my week. They are all admirable things to be done on a Sunday, all wholesome Sabbath activities; but there is a problem with that list - they don't include spending time with others. Calling home of course is probably more important than being with friends, but part of the Sabbath is to draw closer to the Lord by drawing closer to those that we love.
It made me stop and think. In the world today, the pinnacle of success and happiness (as the world would have us believe) is to be wealthy and famous, no matter the cost. Unfortunately, to reach that it usually requires a lot of focusing on one's self and neglecting that which is truly important. The truth is that money does not make a man wealthy, love does. All the money in the world can't buy lasting happiness. Lasting happiness is bought with something far more valuable than money or gold or diamonds; it is bought with a commodity which we all have an equal amount; it is bought with time and giving of ourselves. Money can hire a babysitter or a nanny, but a child needs far more than what money can buy. A child needs to love of a parent that cannot be given with money, it is given in time.
For that is the currency of love: one's self. One's self has different means by which it can be used: quality time, thoughtfulness, at times sacrifice. Yet the world teaches us just the opposite: the world teaches that happiness comes from being selfish, by withholding one's self. And so we are all busy searching for happiness by withholding the only commodity that will buy us happiness: ourselves.
Love and Happiness aren't bought with money, they are bought by giving of ourselves.
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