Joy in the Journey

Well, I had another interesting dream the other night.  Dave wasn't in this dream.  I was with a group of random people and we were part of a game of sorts.  We started at the entrance to a huge building and we were just told there you go and the doors opened.  Now in my mind I assumed it was a contest and we had to find our way to the finish line of the building.  We weren't given any rules or instructions and we didn't know what to expect around the corner, could be monsters, nobody knew, so we decided to stay together.  There were many doors, rooms and hidden rooms.  We explored a bit and the rooms were full of really fun and interesting things and one by one members of the group would find a room that they loved and had to stay and play.  Again in my mind I'm thinking "dummies don't they know they're getting side tracked from the main goal"? So I kept going looking for the end prize.  Yes, I'd come across very interesting rooms that I couldn't resist and had to stop and explore, but I'd soon remember that I was getting side-tracked and continue on my journey.  The building was endless with rooms and the goal seamed allusive.  The group I had been with had all found their happy rooms and I found myself alone. I came across a library that had books on everything that I had always wondered about.  Of course I stayed and read through many books.  Other people had discovered this library also and were coming and going.  But I then remembered I needed to get back on track and quit playing around.  But I had no idea which way to go. So I stopped someone and asked if they could suggest a way to go.  They said "you might want to try room 23 upstairs".  So I found my way to that room and opened the door.  The room was clear full of every kind of toy building sets imaginable and there in the middle of it was Greg and a little boy about 7 years old following Greg around that looked very much like Greg and was just a chattering away and asking Greg all kinds of questions.  The two happily played with the various legos, kinex, erector sets etc.  I was about to interrupt them and tell them to "get back on track".  But they were very happy and content where they were, so I stepped back out and closed the door.  I then started to realize the real purpose of this building.  Then woke up.  When I was awake I realized that it wasn't a contest at all, nor was there a finish line.  The purpose of the "game" was not to win.  The point of the building was to learn, experience and most important to play and have joy.  I forget in this life that Heavenly Father wants us to enjoy our experiences here.  Yes we are here to gain a body, learn and experience and be tested, but we forget that we need to seek our "happy places" and have joy in the journey.  So many songs and stories tell us that this life is painful and miserable, it's a a "frail existence" and we go through this "veil of tears", we have to "endure to the end" and tell us of better things to come in the next life.  Maybe we should embrace every experience now, feel all the emotions, be more trusting of our Heavenly Father when we go through the hardest things imaginable.  It's very difficult to trust Heavenly Father when the rug gets ripped out from under you.  Very hard to be happy when your best friend leaves you. So I'll keep searching for my happy place and when I find it again, I'll stay for a while and play.