We recently took a trip out to the Grand Canyon.  We had to travel from Utah to Phoenix for a soccer tournament, and we thought that since the kids have never been to the there, a little detour to the Grand Canyon would be great.

It was a long drive.  But we were pumped because we've seen pictures and it looked pretty cool.
Plus, it's the Grand Canyon!!! One of the Seven Wonders of the World!!  It was going to be pretty spectacular!

So we finally get there, and we stop at the first scenic view point we come to.  We get out, stretch our legs, and make our way over to the edge.............we take a few pictures, ooh and ahh, and then our oldest says, "Is this it?"


Yes.  That was it.  This is the GRAND CANYON!  All the kids looked a little puzzled, and then my daughter said, "I just thought it would be,.......bigger.  A little more GRAND!"  The boys agreed.  We told them that this was just one of many view points.  That we would drive to another spot, and it would probably be a better view.  They were excited.  We hopped back in the car.  Drove about 30 minutes, and arrived at a different spot.

We got out of the car, and at this scenic view spot, there were a few hiking trails and more places to look out from.  So we walked around, checking out the different spots taking lots of pictures.  We asked the kids what they thought.  "Well, it's cool and all, but it's not as big as we thought it would be."  said one kid.  The other kid said, "Ya, and I wanted to see more of the Canyon, you can't really see it."  My daughter said that the pictures she has seen of the Canyon looked way better than what we were looking at.

Now, don't get me wrong.  They were impressed.  And we had fun walking around and exploring, but it wasn't what they expected.  I think they thought we were going to hike down and around the canyon, get to see the air shots they saw in the pictures, and see the entire canyon.  We explained that to hike to the bottom and back was like a three day hike.  And that the Canyon was hundreds of miles, and to see a different view point would take hours to drive around to it.  And the cool pictures they've seen were from helicopters, because it was so big, that the only way to really see the whole thing was from above.  So we took pictures of where we were, had a yummy lunch, and called it a day.


The kids could cross "Visit the Grand Canyon" off their list!

But in the weeks since our trip, I have been thinking a lot about it.  And how life is like the Grand Canyon.  How often do we stand in one spot looking at our life and think, "Is this it?  This isn't that grand!"

Are you stuck standing, looking at one viewpoint?  Do you look at your life and think - "I want to do/be/experience more?  This can't be everything!  I've seen pictures,  I want THAT view!"

We can have that view.  Life, just like the Grand Canyon, doesn't seem that big when you stand in one spot looking at it.  But, the more you experience, learn and grow, the more you see!  What are you doing to see YOUR grand plan?  Are you working, taking those three day hikes to the bottom, living out adventures?  Are you taking risks and jumping on the helicopter, allowing yourself to grow and learn and discover new things?

Thomas Edison said, "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves."

You will never see your true potential by standing in one place.  By allowing yourself to stand at the same place, you are missing out on the beauty and the blessings in life that are not just for other people to enjoy.  They are for you too!  Put in the work.  Take risks.  Push yourself to live the life you want.  Don't get comfortable with your view.  Be grateful for it, enjoy it, embrace it, but then move on to the next spot.  Life has so much to offer!  Don't just stand in one place - because you won't see it!

Heather