SURPRISE!!!! And 10 months later.... My intent in starting this little blog was to inspire and bless my family with ideas or commentaries on life or from gospel learning. Because this year has been particularly busy with babies and their blessings and baptisms and family gatherings and visits and playing together, well, it is time to get caught up. I can't promise I'll write every month (as the past year has certainly shown) but I will strive to do better.
Lately I've been studying about parables. We know that is how Jesus taught. It is how our General Authorities teach too. Parables can be examples from our lives that teach a gospel principle in a way that is meaningful and leaves a lasting lesson or impression. So here is one for you.
The Meridian Library sits on an old farmstead. When the machinery was being moved onto the property to demolish the old house, barn, and shrubbery, I decided I would go over and save some of the flowers from being destroyed. I saved some oriental poppies (which bloom in profuse orange every spring) and a climbing rose bush that decorated my apple tree with it's lovely red flowers. I dug up tulip bulbs and ivy. During my mission to save what was soon to be destroyed, I also found a small white plate with a chip in it. It had a sweet floral print in the center and a decorative lace like pattern around the edges. I decided to save that too. I cleaned that little plate up and displayed it in the girls bedroom with the chip side down. No one knew about the chip unless they picked up the plate. Fast forward to Hannah's wedding. One of her colors was a bright coral/pink and I had some left over ribbon I decided to thread through the lace like edges of this little plate. The ends of the ribbon met over the chip. I tied a pretty little bow over it and now display it prominently on the side table by the bed. No one knows how or why or when this chip or sin occurred and I guess it doesn't really matter. What is wonderful is that the Savior "covers" our sins, like that ribbon, as if they are no more. He makes us whole.
I'll never think about my little white plate as something with a chip to be hidden, but as something beautifully made whole by a ribbon.
