Grace.
This topic has been on my mind for some time and I had a conversation today with a friend that led me to sharing this story with her. We all need His Grace and we can all be beneficiaries of this gift. Why is this important? Because as Latter-day Saints who are striving for perfection, it is quite clear that none of us are, or ever will be (in this life) perfect. That’s where the need for Grace comes in.
As a mother who was looking for a way to teach my 2 oldest daughters how important it is to have a good attitude, make good choices and be kind, I decided to use an object lesson to allow them to see how the combined efforts of their actions add up to be either positive or negative. I created a “Sparkle Eyes Jar” and my children started filling up their mason jars with colorful craft pom poms as they made good choices. Since I also wanted them to see the effects of making poor choices, I also had them take pom poms out of their jar when these types of decisions and choices were made. When the jars were filled, the kids usually earned an added privilege such as staying up late on the weekend or ice cream for dinner.
One day my two daughters asked me to buy something for them. I decided instead, they could earn it by filling their jars. My third child, a son, had seen his sister’s work on filling their jars in the past and decided that this time, he also wanted to be a part of the action. He wanted to earn some cowboy boots.
So, I got a jar ready for him to begin filling. As a 4 year-old boy, this was no easy task for him. One minute he would be helping me clear the table with a good attitude, and the next minute he was fighting with his sisters over a toy. Long story short, he got very good at adding pom poms, and then having to take them out a few minutes later. After a few days of diligent effort, I started to see his discouragement and noticed that he only had a few pom poms in his jar. I tried to encourage him, but wondered if as a parent, I had asked too much of him. After about a week, and only 8 pom poms in his jar, he came to me and said. “Mom, I will never be able to earn my boots. I am trying so hard, but will never be able to fill my jar.”
My heart broke and I really wanted to find a way to help him earn them. I knew that as it stood, he may never earn them by himself. Easter was approaching, and I found myself pondering on the Atonement and Grace of the Savior. Then I sat down and wrote my 4 year-old son a note that I don’t think he will ever forget. I then filled the remainder of his jar, not with colored pom poms, but with very large, snow-white cotton balls, and placed it on the kitchen table on Easter morning right next to his new boots.
He now calls these his “Grace Boots.”
What does this have to do with all of us? I don’t know about you, but on a daily basis, I find myself adding AND removing pom poms from my figurative “Sparkle Eyes Jar.” I make a really great decision, and then one that’s not so good. Sometimes I feel like I am giving my all and that it just isn’t good enough. One particular Sunday I found myself alone in our Sacrament meeting with my 4 children (my husband was sitting on the stand) and after a long morning of me getting the kids up and ready for church alone, I was tired. The kids started fighting and I wondered why I always tried to make it there on time and ready to go each week. That’s when my 2 boys started fighting over a hard bound Book of Mormon (seriously?!?) and in their tug-of-war to be the end keeper of the book, it hit the bridge of my nose and broke the skin. Drops of blood trickled down my face. Then the losing son threw a punch that hit my face by mistake instead of his older brothers. As I sat in the pew that day , I wondered if my efforts were really good enough, even though the end results were far from perfect.
This topic has been on my mind for some time and I had a conversation today with a friend that led me to sharing this story with her. We all need His Grace and we can all be beneficiaries of this gift. Why is this important? Because as Latter-day Saints who are striving for perfection, it is quite clear that none of us are, or ever will be (in this life) perfect. That’s where the need for Grace comes in.
As a mother who was looking for a way to teach my 2 oldest daughters how important it is to have a good attitude, make good choices and be kind, I decided to use an object lesson to allow them to see how the combined efforts of their actions add up to be either positive or negative. I created a “Sparkle Eyes Jar” and my children started filling up their mason jars with colorful craft pom poms as they made good choices. Since I also wanted them to see the effects of making poor choices, I also had them take pom poms out of their jar when these types of decisions and choices were made. When the jars were filled, the kids usually earned an added privilege such as staying up late on the weekend or ice cream for dinner.
One day my two daughters asked me to buy something for them. I decided instead, they could earn it by filling their jars. My third child, a son, had seen his sister’s work on filling their jars in the past and decided that this time, he also wanted to be a part of the action. He wanted to earn some cowboy boots.
So, I got a jar ready for him to begin filling. As a 4 year-old boy, this was no easy task for him. One minute he would be helping me clear the table with a good attitude, and the next minute he was fighting with his sisters over a toy. Long story short, he got very good at adding pom poms, and then having to take them out a few minutes later. After a few days of diligent effort, I started to see his discouragement and noticed that he only had a few pom poms in his jar. I tried to encourage him, but wondered if as a parent, I had asked too much of him. After about a week, and only 8 pom poms in his jar, he came to me and said. “Mom, I will never be able to earn my boots. I am trying so hard, but will never be able to fill my jar.”
My heart broke and I really wanted to find a way to help him earn them. I knew that as it stood, he may never earn them by himself. Easter was approaching, and I found myself pondering on the Atonement and Grace of the Savior. Then I sat down and wrote my 4 year-old son a note that I don’t think he will ever forget. I then filled the remainder of his jar, not with colored pom poms, but with very large, snow-white cotton balls, and placed it on the kitchen table on Easter morning right next to his new boots.
He now calls these his “Grace Boots.”
What does this have to do with all of us? I don’t know about you, but on a daily basis, I find myself adding AND removing pom poms from my figurative “Sparkle Eyes Jar.” I make a really great decision, and then one that’s not so good. Sometimes I feel like I am giving my all and that it just isn’t good enough. One particular Sunday I found myself alone in our Sacrament meeting with my 4 children (my husband was sitting on the stand) and after a long morning of me getting the kids up and ready for church alone, I was tired. The kids started fighting and I wondered why I always tried to make it there on time and ready to go each week. That’s when my 2 boys started fighting over a hard bound Book of Mormon (seriously?!?) and in their tug-of-war to be the end keeper of the book, it hit the bridge of my nose and broke the skin. Drops of blood trickled down my face. Then the losing son threw a punch that hit my face by mistake instead of his older brothers. As I sat in the pew that day , I wondered if my efforts were really good enough, even though the end results were far from perfect.
The lesson of my son’s Grace Boots filled my mind and I realized that even though I would never be able to fill my jar myself, because I was doing my best, Jesus could and would fill my jar with whatever I was lacking. The spirit then testified to me that His individual and collective efforts are more than mine will ever be, and THAT is and will be enough for me to earn my reward. Not boots, but Eternal Life.
I just wanted to share today that our best efforts are enough and that He will make up the difference.
He will fill our jars when we can’t. That is His gift.
I just wanted to share today that our best efforts are enough and that He will make up the difference.
He will fill our jars when we can’t. That is His gift.
2 Nephi 25:23
"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."
