My husband, Daren, and I have recently been experiencing the stresses that come from building our first home. It has been a learning experience that has taught us temporal and eternal lessons. I thought I would share one particular lesson we learned together. Rather than share my own words, I thought it best to share my husband’s journal entry.
The other day I was installing the backsplash at our new home. Shay came to see how it was going and noticed that one of the small marble tiles was cracked. I had already attached it to the wall but had not yet grouted. She wanted me to replace it. I argued with her that it looked like a seam in the stone and we didn't need to worry about it. No one would ever notice it but her. She said it would bother her for the rest of her life and would rather change it now while it is easy to fix.
For a while I stubbornly refused to change it but eventually lost the battle. I popped the tile off and replaced it in about three minutes with a brand new piece. Since the mortar was still wet behind the tile and I hadn't grouted yet, it was not very difficult to change. Had I refused to change it and finished grouting, fixing it later would have been much more difficult. It likely would have caused the other tiles around it to become loose as well, requiring them to be replaced also.
On the way home, I realized that Shay had taught me an eternal principle about repentance. I turned to her and related the enlightenment I had just received. We make mistakes in our lives, and sometimes we think we can hide them from others. But the truth is that we, as well as the Lord, will always know about these mistakes.
If we do not correct the mistake right away, it may become hardened and "grouted" into our lives. At that point it becomes very difficult to fix the mistake. If we fail to correct our mistakes, it can lead to other mistakes, which can affect others around us. "Now is the time for us to prepare to meet God."
I related this experience during my testimony on Sunday. Shay just sat and smiled, enjoying every moment of it.
