The Good Samaritan as an allegory of the Plan of Salvation

I guess it's pretty obvious that this blog has become a record of our spiritual journey together more than anything else. My goal is to not be preachy, but to just share what I am thinking and learning.

For a few weeks, I have been thinking of Christ's parable of the Good Samaritan.

The first time that it occurred to me to see the Good Samaritan as an allegory as well as a parable, I was walking through a Cathedral in France (I was 24 at the time, working for Delta and flying free). I looked up at some panels of stained glass and saw the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden intertwined with windows showing the Good Samaritan. I thought it was weird that they had placed Old Testament windows with New Testament Windows and then it hit me and I cried at the beauty and love of the lesson of the Plan of Salvation right within the Good Samaritan. So, for years I have recognized the allegory of the story and I have wondered why it is not addressed more often.

I'd like to share what I see.

I believe that when the lawyer asked Christ how to gain eternal life, he may have been trying to trap Christ into claiming to be the Son of God publicly. The lawyer actually had two Questions "How do I gain Eternal Life?" and then after Jesus' response the lawyer asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus Christ answered BOTH questions. In our modern day, we usually see the response to the second question, but I feel the need to draw attention to the beautiful answer to the FIRST question.

Christ went on to teach that the only way to eternal life is through His Atonement and by no other way. Christ did this carefully through the story of a fallen man (Adam, us, All Mankind) who travelled from Jerusalem (pre-mortality) to Jericho (mortality). Remember, Jerusalem is about 2100 feet above sea level where Jericho is actually a 800+ feet below sea level. It was a winding road and a dangerous path. It is not difficult to compare this to the Fall. On earth we are no longer directly in the presence of the Lord, and can come upon trials, difficulties and temptations which leave us "half dead"(spiritual death; separation from God).

The priest and Levite represents the law (rules and Mosaic Law). Can the law alone save us?

They also didn't have the full authority or power to save mankind.

The Samaritan represents Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was hated by many Jews just as the Samaritans were hated by Christ's target audience.

The Samaritan did not just walk by, but he went looking to save the wounded traveler. He had compassion (more love than we can imagine) he bound up the wounds (as He binds our broken hearts and bind us with covenants). The Samaritan used oil (light, Holy Ghost) and wine (purification through His blood).

The Samaritan stayed with the wounded. He did not leave too early. When He did leave, He made sure someone would take care of the recovering traveler (church leaders). He also promised to return again (Second Coming of the Savior) and pay any accrued expenses (The Savior will bless His servants in abundance as they work to help wounded travelers) This makes the ending beautiful--Christ is willing to pay whatever it takes for us to be healed. He loves us so much and we are moved by His love to love others.

I really do wonder why we don't discuss the allegory of the Plan of Salvation as much as we discuss the "story" of service. The two can be used together. One of the teaching of His Plan of Happiness and the other teaching ethics of how we treat one another. Neither threatens the truths of the other.

Seeing the Good Samaritan in this light is just another way that I can see that the scriptures "truly testify of Christ." Jacob 7:11

Mom My Body Doesn't MAKE Courage

One of the many reasons that I love being a mom is for the many times that I am reminded of important Eternal Truths. This special week and the weeks before this one I have really focused my study around the Atonement of Jesus Christ and not just the purifying effects, but the power we can gain from seeking to align our thoughts and actions to His.

Driving around this afternoon, this was the conversation between Emerson and me.

E: Mom you know how some people's bodies don't make insulin?

M: Yeah

E: Well, I am pretty sure my body doesn't make courage.

(Yesterday at school our awesome school counselor read a book to Emerson's Kindergarten class about courage and then later in the day, the counselor directed an excellent assembly on courage)

M: Well, remember what we learned yesterday at school? In order to have courage you have to practice being courageous.

E: That works for most people, mom, but I know that my body doesn't make courage.

This is when I was taught by the words leaving my mouth.

M: Emerson, Heavenly Father and Jesus love you. They want you to get help from them. Do you think that they have Courage?

E: Yeah, They have more courage than everyone.

M: Do you think they want you to have courage?

E: Yes.

M: How will you get help from them?

E: Pray for it.

M: When you ask Heavenly Father for Courage, I know that He will give you courage, but He will expect you to practice courage too.

She didn't say anything else, but in my heart I felt the Spirit testify that what I said was true and very applicable at this time in my life. I needed the testimony that I shared. I love being a mom.

Chicks in the White House?

Today my girls and I hung out with my parents. My ex husband declined time with the girls, so I was thrilled to have an outing with my parents to distract the girls. My parents are pretty important people to my girls. Very young kids draw important people in pictures. Kamryn always includes herself, Emerson and me in her pictures and frequently adds Grandma and Grandpa. Occasionally dad is added to the picture. Emerson only drew pictures of me during a whole year of her life, the therapist and I were THRILLED when she started drawing pictures of herself. She now includes Kamryn and Grandma. It has been really exciting to observe and guide her progress and her healing. Emerson was really excited that we were going to "hang out" with grandma.

It was great for me too.

My dad LOVES saving money (or not spending ANY money).

My mom LOVES projects and has BIG ideas sometimes confusing those around her (specifically raising chickens).

My dad climbed into the back of my van today with a torn out advertisement for Tepenyaki. He told me that the lunch was only $6, so we headed to Salt Lake. I had been fasting (blood test this morning as part of my FREE ObamaCare preventative doctor's visit), so I was looking forward to eating and I thought my kids would enjoy the experience of the chef cooking right in front of them. We arrived to find that Tepenyaki is not opened for lunch on Saturdays. We were a little bumbed, but still hungry, so dad chose a Chinese place in Centerville- "the one that you don't have to leave a tip" (What?)

Before returning north, my mom asked if we could drive past her childhood home on 8th West. We parked in front of the house and she told a bunch of memories. We all loved hearing about her childhood. Before getting on the freeway, I took my parents to Vosen's German Bakery on 2nd South between 2nd and 3rd West. They had never been there and I'm slightly obsessed with going there anytime that I'm downtown or downtown-ish. The prices aren't great, but they always throw in extras. Today I ordered 3 berliners and 3 brochen and they gave me 3 berliners, 7 brochen and 1 sweet pretzel--all for under $5. My dad ordered $9 worth of stuff (which shocked me), but he walked out of there with lots of free stuff, so he was happy.

My girls and mom were in heaven with the baked goods, and my dad couldn't resist as I drove--they were all kinda full when we arrived at "the place where you don't have to leave a tip". We must have stayed at that little Chinese place for nearly 2 hours. The girls were so content and I thoroughly enjoyed conversing with my parents without having to compete with their TV.

I confessed that when I experimented in the kitchen as a kid, I would occasionally mess up and have to bury the evidence in the backyard. I didn't want my mom to know that I wasn't following a recipe and I knew what kind of trouble I would be in if my dad saw wasted ingredients in the garbage can. My mom laughed so hard, because, she had done the same thing in her back yard AND her own mother confessed to burying bad cooking attempts behind the house also. I don't know how common the burial ritual is, but apparently it runs in the family.

I did have to interrupt my mom once though. She started saying something so offensive to my ears and my heart that I thought I certainly must be misunderstanding her. She said, "I don't think that a woman should ever be president. They are too emotional and hormonal" I thought surely these words cannot be coming out of a woman's mouth--even my own mother's mouth. When I realized that she truly believed the crazy stuff she was saying, I lost it. I told her I was so disappointed that she felt that way and I didn't want her to ever say things like that in front of my girls again. My stomach literally felt sick and I was no longer hungry. I told my mom that I never knew that she felt that way and wondered how she could raise us without us knowing all her beliefs. She said, "well, I guess I felt like you needed to make up your own political decisions". THANK GOODNESS!! I think if Sharla had been with us, my mom would have really gotten a tongue lashing. I changed the subject.

My dad started talking about a Great Dane that he met at the mechanic shop. He has always wanted one. My mom said, "no, it would eat my chickens".

He told my mom that she was not to get anymore chickens. (Last Spring, she had nearly 30 chicks in their dining room while she built a coop) Before Christmas, she had some people from Idaho deliver 3 red hens to a meeting spot off the Centerville exit. Addicted you ask? Maybe . . . I do have to confess that I may or may not have been the cause of her initial interest in chickens. When I was 8 years old, I asked the Easter Bunny to bring me a red hen instead of candy in a basket. The crazy fictitious character left me 12 fluffy yellow chicks which grew into 12 ugly white hens. My siblings and I all had the privilege of raising them. (Shelly was pooped on once. Right as she was heading out the door for jr high, she realized that it was her turn to break the layer of ice that formed on the top of their watering can. Once inside the coop, her feathered eighty's hair became an unlucky target)

So as my dad was telling her no more chickens, she smiled like she runs the roost. His blue eyes bulged and he said, "I swear I will step on any new chicks that come on my property!" My girls weren't paying any attention, but my mom said, "Tom, don't talk like that in front of the girls!!" I laughed right out loud.

Spring Break Part 1 in Pictures

Bunny Friday afternoon-- We bought 3 bunnies from the farmer store. With my amateur vet skills I decided we had 3 females--one runt, all sisters. The next day the farmer store gave me the pedigree charts. The "runt" is a dwarf 2 year old female. The other 2 are 6 week old brother and sister.

The girls were so attentive during General Conference. I told them that any time the prophet spoke or an apostle spoke, they would need to sit quietly and listen. The bunnies helped with the reverence.

ADOPTION DAY--So Exciting!!

Shantelle and Sawyer
Sharla, Sawyer and Judge Dawson (bailiff and lawyer also)
Mom, Dad, Sharla, Sawyer, Shelly, Kamryn, Shantelle, Princess Emerson (don't know why she had that crown on), Connor and Emma
New Mom and Cute Daughter
Emerson and Kamryn at Spring Dress Rehearsal (singing class)

Such a Liar

We don't start out on this parenthood journey thinking that it will be easy. There are surprises though. We expect occasional sleepy tantrums, spilled cups and wet beds. The biggest shock came last summer when she looked up at me with her beautiful eyes and innocent expression and told a BIG FAT LIE. I couldn't believe it. I didn't handle it well. I told her that I knew she was lying and I never wanted her to lie again. Her eyes grew wide with amazement as she asked, "How did you know that was a lie?" In my "brilliance" I told her this STUPID LIE:

All moms know when kids lie because a new dot appears on the child's forehead. She ran to the bathroom mirror to look for the new dot. "Only moms can see the dots" I clarified.

The next couple of times that she tried to cover up a wrongdoing, I would ask if she was telling the truth, and she would place a hand over her forehead while stating, "Of course I am telling the truth".

I really thought I was pretty clever--her hand goes over her forehead and I know she's lying--then I pretend that I see a new dot.

RIDICULOUS PARENTING--especially if she learns that I was trying to "teach" honesty with a big ole lie myself "dots on forehead", whatever.

Kids want to please us. The first lies are told in an attempt to keep the adult happy. I thought I had fixed my parenting mistake here with several Family Home Evening Lessons on trust and honesty, but today the dot theory resurfaced and I felt horrible.

After our church, we went to my cousin's church for her son's mission farewell talk. That kid is one popular guy--there were more people in that building than I have ever seen. We arrived a few minutes late and sat in the overflow (the foyer with tons of folding chairs set up).

There were lots of teenagers around--one girl had a lot of acne marks on her forehead--yes, you see where this is going.
Emerson leaned over to Kamryn and in a not-so-quiet whisper "See that lady? She's such a liar!"

Patching Holes in roofs and in people

This morning after our dentist appointments, (Layton Hills Dental is awesome!!--Aunt Jess works there and everyone took such great care of my kids while I was getting my teeth cleaned) we went to the Home Depot for some roof sealant/tar stuff. On the drive home I was feeling a little anxious about getting up on the roof to do the simple patch job. I guess I noticed the dark clouds rolling in and the trees swaying in the strengthening wind. I pictured myself falling off the roof and thought I probably should have another adult at the house before I climb the ladder. Usually, when a tiny bit of wisdom creeps in, I am able to replace it with a wacked out thought. I only had to get on the back part of the house where there is a deck, so if I fall, I won't fall far. This wacked out thinking came out in a car conversation with my daughters. "Girls, I have to climb the ladder and get on top of the house to fix the place that is broken. It is going to rain soon, so I need to get up there fast so the water won't drip into our house. I need your help." (What idiot asks for roofing help from little girls?)
"Okay Mommy!!" "Yeah, we can help!"
"Well, I will open the gates to the back yard and and the front door of the house. If I fall down off of the roof, then you need to run to Emily's house, Austin's house or Sabrina's house to get help, then the ambulance can come and fix me if I get hurt."
"Okay"
PROBLEM SOLVED. Ready to fix the roof.
And then, as we pulled in the garage, Kamryn said, "I can save you momma" and Emerson said, "Yes, mom, we know where the bandaids are, we don't need to run to anybody's house!"

Oh dear.

I did end up climbing to the top of the ladder and putting the tools up on the roof. As I was ready to place my first foot on the surface of the roof, I looked down into my little girls smiling faces, (those were my would be lifesavers) and finally convinced myself that they could not save me and I was an idiot to think that this was a situation wherein I was using any logic.

We have to patch holes with the proper Savior.

In building new relationships, we have to be certain that we are not looking for other people to patch any holes in our lives.

I've had some interesting experiences since I started dating a month ago. I've been out with a few men and I'm already ready for a long break from dating. I really felt like the men were trying to patch holes in their lives with a woman. I'll hold the ladder for you, but I will not patch your life. I may know where the bandaids are, but you need more help than I can provide.

I am really glad that I did go out--it was something I had to get over.
For a while I was seriously afraid of men. When a man asked for my phone number or for a date or a dance I saw him as a potential controller (or worse, an abuser or a rapist). I don't feel this way at all anymore. Even though I don't put my complete trust in individuals, I do not fear them. Further along in my healing, I recognized that there are good men out there who have honest intents.
However, because I am loving life as it is now, I don't want to "mess" with it by adding a relationship. When I meet a friend who is all patched up and has his house in order, then I may want to spend time with him.

I am pretty protective of my time anyway. I really felt like I wasted a bit of time with dates when I could have been enjoying tickle time and bedtime stories with my girls, exercising, or doing spiritual work (with scripture study, journaling, prayer and meditation). I crave all of those things. I do not yet crave companionship.
And besides, I'm kind of crushing on a couple of ancient prophets right now. I love Jacob and Moroni.

And who is my neighbor??

A certain woman was traveling from Ogden to Layton, but because of her disorganization was without a cell phone and had an empty gas tank on the freeway. Her mistakes left her half frustrated. And by chance there came carfuls of people just like her, coming from the same meeting she just left. Some of them didn't see her. Some slowed, looked at her and passed on their way speedily. Likewise, others, not of her faith, looked on her and passed by. She began running towards civilization to refuel, because walking would take hours. She did worry though about how long the return trip would take on foot because her dress boots were not like her expensive running shoes and after ten minutes of running, she was already getting blisters.
But a certain Samaritan (one not like her), as he journeyed, came where she was and when he saw her, he had compassion on her. He pulled over and offered her a ride in his own beast. When she responded with "I don't ride alone with men, but thank you so much for offering" His rough face was kind and he said, "I'll be back with another woman to ride with us" She didn't think he would return and she wondered if anyone else might save her from her mistakes. Ten minutes later he returned with a woman who appeared to have had as rough a life as he. They took her the rest of the way to the gas station, returned the grateful woman to her car to find that her car wouldn't start. With very dirty hands, this Samaritan opened the hood of her car, fiddled around while explaining the gas was too low and he had to help it inject itself, and got her car started. She handed him all the cash that she had (less than $20--she would have paid $40) for saving her in her own mistakes. He refused the money until she said, "I know that you didn't help me for money. I know that you don't want to accept it. Please take it though before I start crying. Do you want me to cry?" He smiled and took it. She drove away.

Which of these was neighbor unto she that fell frustrated with her disorganization?
He that shewed mercy (and patience with her driving with men rule). Go then and do likewise. I know I will try to be more observant and willing to go out of my way even if someone has brought misfortune upon themselves.