Isn't life funny in that what you so carefully plan out for yourself, seems rarely to happen the way it is planned. This summer was to have been a fast moving action filled summer scheduled with girls camp, art camp, family reunion, boating and fishing. All of that was for June. This schedule was planned as skillfully as choreography in a musical is planned.

Enter one emergency surgery. Out the window goes the elegant meal planning for guest. No longer is the routine bulletin easily completed. Laundry becomes the stereo-typical mountainous chore that has depressed women from the beginning of time. Nothing is on schedule. The train has derailed and the station is no where in sight.

"Return With Honor" is such a story. Rowe McDonald returns home from his mission with everything figured out for his life. On the way home he is in a car wreck. He has a vision and is told he has sixty days to finish his mission.

All the plans he made for his life are no longer viable options. Rowe must decide what is more important for him to accomplish in his life. Should he go ahead and marry his sweetheart, knowing they won't have much time together? Does it matter whether or not one relationship is repaired while another suffers? Rowe begins to see and understand that most of the things in this life is just "stuff". When you get right down to it, it is family and relationships that are important and there is no room for selfishness in either one of them.

Rowe focuses on forgiveness and acceptance of people just as they are. No more are petty nuances of personality and shortcomings fore front in sizing up a persons character. Rowe begins to see and love people as he believes Christ would see them.

Rowe confides with one individual about his life expectancy count down. They comfort each other as good-byes are said. Life becomes "real" and Rowe can say good-bye with ease as he prepares not to wake up on D-day.

This movie is so touching. I have only begun to glimpse the truth of accepting people as they are instead of how we think they ought to be. When schedules are disrupted, it may be Heavenly Father telling us to slow down. Maybe we need to re-analyze who should be a priority in our life.

A Bishop's conversation about whether or not sex is all that it is purported to be, should have parents discussing whether or not their children are old enough to hear that conversation. It is an appropriate and wonderfully presented conversation for teenagers, but perhaps too mature for elementary age children.

The next time life gets away from you, take a couple of hours to watch this wonderful film on what priorities ought to be in the foreground.

Return to the Neighborhood.