New

 

My kids give me a really hard time about this.

Because what I call  “the new carpet” is now 7 or 8 years old.

But here is the thing.  

We paid for an extra plush pad under it so it could essentially serve as additional seating for the crowds of teens and family and friends we would host.

And it’s done exactly that.

Because I see it as our new and valuable carpet, I treat it as such and if we have a spill it is immediately cleaned up and taken care of carefully.  

While our main floor flooring is pretty trashed, and the upstairs carpet I didn’t care as much about since it was already stained and old, this “new” carpeting requires the removal of shoes.  

For two reasons.

It does keep the carpet clean but it also allows others to feel and appreciate the plush carpet when they walk on it.  It makes me smile to share that.

But it also got me thinking that our carpet would be looking a lot different if I DIDN’T see and protect it as the “new” carpet.

If I hadn’t freaked out when Alex and her friends decided to do their nails on it the first week.  (I apologized for my over the top reaction and got a shower curtain they could work on but stand by my initial shock at the very idea!). 

If I left root beer spills to collect dirt and dust on the sticky spot instead of insisting the kids get the little green machine immediately.  

If I hadn’t called in the professionals after the dogs had multiple accidents and then barred them from being downstairs without us.

Basically, the carpet is nice because I saw it as such and responded appropriately.

In the same way, when we see people (including ourselves) as having their true “new” value in Christ, it changes everything.

It changes how we take care of our bodies.

It changes how we treat and speak to one another.

It changes (this one is hard for me!) the inner dialogue we have with ourselves. 

It changes our relationship with the gift of repentance.  When mistakes happen we immediately work on repenting and getting that sin taken care of.

And when we need to we call on the Priesthood  “professionals” to help restore.

Elder F Burton Howard once spoke about his wife who valued a set of silverware similarly, and the lesson exemplified through her care of the valuable.

“If you want something to last forever, you treat it differently. You shield it and protect it. You never abuse it. You don’t expose it to the elements. You don’t make it common or ordinary. If it ever becomes tarnished, you lovingly polish it until it gleams like new. It becomes special because you have made it so, and it grows more beautiful and precious as time goes by.”

While he was specifically talking about marriage, I found the words to match and magnify my own care of our carpet.  

Ultimately it comes down to this.  

How we think about someone and how we treat them are tightly intertwined.  Thus, when we realize how incredibly valuable and good we each truly are in Christ, it should change everything.