Come Follow Me "Parable of the Mop"

Most months I dread attending fast and testimony meeting. However, I am pleasantly surprised by the love, strength and humbleness I feel after the strong testimonies of the ward members are expressed from the pulpit.  When a testimony is shared during the meeting, there is a vulnerability exposed by all willing to openly share the love they feel from and for the savior.

The Come, Follow Me manual discussed parables during the week of March 18th - 24th  "Who Hath Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear".  Parables were and are used to drive home a lesson learned through real life examples and to help us grow in the Church.  During our last Fast Sunday I felt inspired to share a self proclaimed parable,  "The Parable of the Mop".  It went like this... 

After getting ready for church today I noticed once again the wooden floors in our home had doggy footprints everywhere.  From the back door, through the family room, up the stairs and in the kitchen, down the hall and around the front room and back.  My blood boiled, and I pulled the mop from the closet and said, "Scott! Let me show you how to run this thing."  He sat innocently on the couch, where he was waiting for me to announce that I was ready for church and calmly said, "Do you need to go back to bed and get up on the other side?"  That did it!  I wasn't happy with the floor, or that he didn't want to learn now to run the mop.  I said, "I PAY good money money to have the floors cleaned and ALL you have to do is have the dog wipe his feet, or leave him outside until the mud is rubbed off on the grass before you let him inside".

As soon as I opened my mouth I knew what I said, "I PAY".  Yes, my dirty little secret is out, I do pay to have my floors cleaned.  But it was Sunday, a day when I should be remembering to be my best self.  I found myself getting riled up and when I said the words "I PAY", my mind went immediately to the Savior and "HE PAYED".  He payed the ultimate price with his life and ALL he asks is that we keep the commandments, follow him and be good to each other.  When he asks us these things he knows that we will fail over and over again and yet he still accepts us and gives us another opportunity to do the right things.  I am calling this, "The Parable of the Mop", and it's a reminder to me of what the Lord, our Savior Jesus Christ payed for our sins and what he will do and has done to help us learn how to conduct our lives.