Suddenly I See

I've been neglecting my beloved Pearl recently. Between being out of town a lot and basic laziness, it had been months since she had had a bath. And thanks to the marine layer that rolls in every night, the grime was quite thick.

So last Tuesday I threw in the towel and took it to a car wash. But not just any car wash--it was the kind where you hand over your keys and the magical elves bring it back 30 minutes later all sparkly and clean. I'd never been to such a car wash before (I'm from Wyoming...they just don't exist there) because it seemed like cheating. In my family, the only time you don't wash your car yourself is when it's too cold. And that's only when it's really dirty.

Friends, it was the best $17 I've ever spent on that car. The elves even managed to remove the grime on my rims that had been there for years. Not only did they vacuum, they dusted the dashboard. But the best part was when I got in and discovered I could actually see out the windows.

At that point I realized I had been putting up with inferior conditions. I was reminded of a quote that I thought I remembered from Conference but I can't find right now that says something to the effect of "we live far below our spiritual potential." Around the same time, I'd had several spiritual experiences that, like my car, reminded me that I could have so much better. I just wasn't putting in the effort.

Of course, life can't be all uplifting, amazing experiences. It rained on Sunday; my car is now dirty. I get caught up in work and friends and fun; I loose some of the peace I found. But the memory of the good is newer. And at least one of these things can be fixed by a quick trip to the magical elves again.