having all kinds of adventures and learning new life skills! For example, I
am proud to say that I can now ride my bike with NO HANDS!!! I know that is
a skill that all the cool kids learned when they were like 10, but Dad
threatened my life every time I move one hand to scratch my nose while
riding a bike so I learned it at 20! haha Adventure number two: I broke the
law and kissed a turtle! That's right, I broke the law as a missionary. -_-
In my defense I didn't know it was a law... They have these huge turtles
here and we were at the park on a P-day and I wanted a picture with this
turtle so I picked it up and kissed it right on the head! Then we showed
the picture to a member and they informed us that those turtles are
endangered and there is some law about touching them. oops...
I also got to drive a train! (It was a miniature train and that was
actually a few weeks ago, but still... brother Carroll said I could make a
living at it! ) pshh who needs school! Oh and today Brother Carroll is
going to let me mow their lawn with the riding lawn mower! Personally I
think he has WAY too much faith in me, but he about fell out of his chair
when I told him I had never mowed a lawn before!
Along with all of these fun excursions sister Yellow and I have been biking
our buns off! ( I really wish I was speaking literally, but unfortunately
they feed us too well here.) While we were biking we ran into a lot of
people that kept telling us they were saved and that Mormons are trying to
earn their way to heaven. That saying there is still work for us to do is
down playing the sacrifice Christ made for us. I was feeling frustrated
because I didn't really know how to put in to words what I was thinking.
They weren't really interested in hearing my thoughts either. The next
morning sister Yellow shared an article that I love!
It compares the atonement to a Mom paying for a child's piano lesson. I was
about to paraphrase it because I hate quoting things in my emails home
because I don't want to bore anyone to tears, but seriously I love the way
it is said and I can't do it justice when I put it in my own words.
"Christ’s arrangement with us is similar to a mom providing music lessons
for her child. Mom pays the piano teacher. Because Mom pays the debt in
full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it?
Practice! Does the child’s practice pay the piano teacher? No. Does the
child’s practice repay Mom for paying the piano teacher? No. Practicing is
how the child shows appreciation for Mom’s incredible gift. It is how he
takes advantage of the amazing opportunity Mom is giving him to live his
life at a higher level. Mom’s joy is found not in getting repaid but in
seeing her gift used—seeing her child improve. And so she continues to call
for practice, practice, practice.
If the child sees Mom’s requirement of practice as being too overbearing
(“Gosh, Mom, why do I need to practice? None of the other kids have to
practice! I’m just going to be a professional baseball player anyway!”),
perhaps it is because he doesn’t yet see with Mom’s eyes. He doesn’t see
how much better his life could be if he would choose to live on a higher
plane.
In the same way, because Jesus has paid justice, He can now turn to us and
say: “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19 <http://scriptures/nt/matt/4.19>); “Keep my
commandments” (John 14:15 <http://scriptures/nt/john/14.15>). If we see His
requirements as being way too much to ask, maybe it is because we do not
yet see through Christ’s eyes. We have not yet comprehended what He is
trying to make of us."
Perfect right? Christ paid the debt in full. "He is not the light at the
end of the tunnel, He is the light that carries us through the tunnel."
That is how I feel about my mission! I feel like a little kid helping her
dad make a cake. He lets her crack one egg and then when the cake is
finished he says, "What a beautiful cake you made!" Except in my case,
Heavenly father even helps me crack the egg! None of the miracles I have
seen could have happened if I was here on my own. Good thing none of us are
on our own right?
I love you all more than the English language can express!
-Sister Upshaw
p.s. that talk is called "God's grace is sufficient"
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