Tools Part 2: The Atonement

If you haven't read Tools Part 1, you may consider reading that first.

In pondering and planning sharing time on the Atonement last month, I had been thinking about tools and how one actually uses the spiritual tool of the Atonement.  A beautiful idea was presented to me as an object lesson.  Here is what I did:

I took in a large bowl of potatoes with words written on each potato such as 'sadness', 'grief', 'pain', 'loneliness', 'discouragement', 'hurt feelings', 'anger', 'disappointment'  etc. I asked the children if they had ever experienced any of those things.  They had.  I asked one child to come up and remove the skin off a potato because we wanted to get rid of those negative things in our life.  

I love how children are very obedient and in both Jr. and Sr. Primary each child started trying to peel the potato with their hands without more of an explanation than that.  As each one worked, I talked a little about Christ's time in Gethsemane and on the cross.  After a few minutes I checked on my friend.   In response to my question "How's it coming?"  my cute little Jr. Primary helper said  "I need a tool." (how perfect!)  I asked him if he would use one if I gave him one.  He said he definitely would.  I gave him a potato peeler and he got back to work.  In a few minutes, he had all the skin removed beautifully--and much more nicely than it would have looked had he completed the task with his fingernails like he originally started.

I likened the peeler to the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  It  is a tool for us to rid ourselves of the uncomfortable, unpleasant and painful things of mortality.  And just like peeling potatoes is still work, it is much more pleasant, efficient and effective with a tool.  Life is--and always will be work--both spiritual and physical, but it is much more pleasant, efficient and effective with the use of spiritual tools--in this case, the Atonement.  

In pondering how, especially in terms Primary children understand, how one actually uses the Atonement and what that looks like in day to day actions, I think I came up with at least a partial answer.  And that is this:  I am using the Atonement when I copy, emulate, follow, pattern (etc.) Jesus Christ's behavior and choices--do as He would do-- in every situation I can.  Think of others the way He does.  Respond to problems the way He did.  Reach out to others like He did.  Act compassionately.  Etc.

I wanted to try it out so I had some time and experience to back up my idea so that I could testify to those impressionable children.  I'm so very far from perfect, but I have tried it enough to recognize the beauty, simplicity and power of that principle.  I have recognized the strengthening and enabling power (two of the blessings of the Atonement) in my life in ways I can't describe when I've humbly tried to act how Christ would act.

One thought that has helped me in acting more like Christ is this:   He had mortal needs just like me--fatigue, hunger etc. He also had many, many people needing and wanting things from Him--throngs pressing on Him at times even.  Those are things that I can relate to, in part, with the demands that come to a mom.  So I have tried to think of His example and how He addressed each concern that came to Him with love, tenderness and compassion. When I've been in situations that are very demanding and I've thought of His care and concern for each individual, not only have I been able to act better, but my responses, at times, have surprised me.  They are not what I would do if I was only working under the umbrella of my intellect and abilities. They have been more like what Christ would have done--I have been enabled to be better and in many cases, much much better.  

A personal example.  One Sunday morning, three days prior to Greta's birthday, Caleb told me he was in charge of food for a Chinese New Year meal at scouts--the same day as Greta's birthday.  It is the tradition at our house that on your birthday, you can request any meal and I will make it. Greta had requested Shrimp Scampi, Red Pepper Salad and a strawberry cake (which, since I'm trying to cut out processed foods from our diet, was made from scratch).  For his activity, Caleb needed Won Ton soup to feed twenty 16-18 year old boys.  I'll be honest, at first I was super frustrated with the scout situation.  My initial response was not the best, I admit.  But during the Sacrament that day as I was reflecting on how I could use the tool of the Atonement, I recognized my response had not been very Christlike.  I decided to try this little experiment of responding in a Christlike way to this situation. How would Christ have responded? What would have His compassion looked like?  That changed my thinking and after church I apologized to Caleb and told him I would do whatever he needed me to to do make his assignment happen.  Wednesday came and my cooking to-do list was uncomfortably long especially since I already had a few other plans for the day (Caleb did help when he came home from school).  But all day I focused my thoughts on the demands Christ had on Him and how many people needed Him and how He always responded in love and compassion. I worked hard to mirror those thoughts and feelings.  I couldn't believe the difference it made. My thinking changed as I submitted my thoughts to meekness and "What can I do more to serve Thee, Lord?".   My task list no longer felt like a burden.  It felt like I was providing true service and that in my service, I was making a difference.  Those feelings were the strengthening and enabling power of the Atonement and not something I could have produced with my own set of skills.  I was able to do more than I could have done on my own and I felt my spirit strengthened in the process. Then after our family meal together, I sent everyone on their way to meetings and scouts and I was left with two excited little girls and a kitchen that had dirty dishes from two large meals.  The miracle of the day for me was that I did not feel bitter or overwhelmed about that mountain of dishes---I was filled with thankfulness that I was able to serve.  It was such a stark difference to how I could have felt had I chosen a different thought process.  The feelings of gratitude were a true gift.

***Just a note:  I'm not saying that we should always take more things on ourselves and be unwise in our human limitations, but for me, on that day, I learned a great lesson about where I placed my thoughts and the enabling power that came when my intents are pure.  Using that as a guide, I feel I can better judge things in the future so that I will not burn out, but still give my life in service to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

This leaves me with big questions for myself:  With such a powerful tool that the Atonement is, how come I don't use it more often?  What good is my potato peeler if I just leave it sitting in my drawer?  Am I living my life ineffectively, inefficiently and exerting greater effort than necessary with results poorer than need be?  If the Atonement is a tool that will help me rid myself of pain, loneliness, discouragement, grief, sadness, anger, hurt feelings etc. why don't I make better use of this tool? Thought provoking questions for sure.

This is long enough for this post.  I have a few final wrap-up thoughts I'll share in another few days.  Again, if you have further thoughts a long these lines, I'd love more ideas to wrap my thoughts around.

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PS.  Just because I've had a few successes with this thought/behavior pattern, I've got so far to go!  As with any spiritual truth revealed, a testing ground is given to see how you'll use your new-found understanding.  I have to say there has been testing ground!  And my test scores haven't been fantastic. Very sub-par, in fact.  That, however, is no reason for me to give up.  I must keep applying and applying and applying. . . .  Perhaps in a decade this thought process might affect a greater portion of my actions.  I'm thankful for more chances.