He Takes Away the Stain

It's spring here in the southern hemisphere!

There is nothing I love as much as the springtime. It's the season of new beginnings, brimming with the hope of second chances, the promise of adventure, and a world of open doors. We clean out all the clutter, vacuum all the dust, break out nicer shoes... Bird songs ring through the air. So do ours.

I think there's a reason we call it "spring fever." There something intoxicating about the chance to start again. We had a difficult week, but it was a BEAUTIFUL Sunday. I'm grateful for the chance to start again.

Every day of our lives is filled with mistakes. Like it or not, we are constantly messing up... A thousand grape juice stains on Mom's new carpet that the workers just installed. And we know we'll never be able to come back home if she sees it, but how to clean freshly-spilled grape juice out of brand new carpet without just making an even bigger mess? We can't; that's what. And so we'll simply never be able to go home...

But there is an expert stain-cleaner; He has a beautiful smile, and all He wants is to help us be clean... He knows how to do it, and He already paid the price. "Do your best to clean it out, and I will do the rest." I scrub and scrub with all my might, but it's not coming out... I start to cry there as I clean, flooded with guilt and fear of the face of my mother and wondering why everyone else is so much better at stain-removal than me... And it doesn't get better. It only gets bigger. I feel like such a failure... So I crawl to the feet of that cleaner, in His white and stainless suit, and I bury my face into his knees and cry and cry and cry... Because all I ever do as I try hard to clean is make the grape stain worse.

"Patience, little one." He smooths my hair like Mom always did. "Be still and let me help you."

He gently takes my hand and shows me how to scrub just right. Applies new-formula grape juice remover, and all the stains come out. I marvel at the miracle...

The carpet's back to white, and I've learned to clean out the stains.

"Señor, where can I buy that carpet cleaner?"

He smiles His loving smile and leaves me with His card. "Just call me when you need me. We'll keep on putting that carpet back perfect."

I think with every passing grape juice stain, the Lord teaches me just how much I need Him. He teaches me the importance of repentance. The importance of the sacrament. And just how much I depend on Him for both. If my mamá knew how many times I've stained the carpet, she'd probably never let me in the house... But my Father does, and as much as He'd like to, He can't--no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God... I want to be His perfect daughter, and I don't want to stain His carpet. I don't want Him to see my stains. But I am always knocking over bottles. And I can't remove them on my own...

I am grateful for the sacrament. I have developed a dependence on that sacred ordinance. For me the Sacrament was always just bread and water...but now it has become a source a healing and peace--a chance to taste His living water and bread of life. I love my Savior for the way He always seems to HEAL me as I beg Him to... For the promise that, if I do my part, I can leave the chapel on Sunday a purer person with renewed energy and renewed hopes. La Santa Cena truly is healing for the soul... Sundays are our chance for new beginnings.

Antonia was baptized yesterday. All of her family was there to support her, even those who aren't members or who haven't entered the church in many, many years. She hates wearing skirts, but she looked so beautiful in her new Sunday dress and simply radiated pureness.. There is so much symbolism in the white baptism and temple clothing. The Lord offers to purify us as we do all we can to purify ourselves first, too. Antonia glowed as she walked reverently in that little white dress down the halls of the Church. Then she sat with her feet dangling off the edge of the bench, still too little to touch the floor. Occasionally, she'd look over at me at the piano and flash me a smile... Eight year old Antonia overcame her fear of the water and chose instead to follow Jesus Christ. There is nothing more beautiful than watching a pure little child come unto Christ through  baptism. Nothing matters more than those incredibly sacred ordinances. Baptism is our chance for new beginnings. He offers each of us the chance to start again.

Someday, we will all be resurrected. We will come forth perfected from the grave... Clean and pure and ready to meet our God. As was that perfect Easter morning, it will be a day of new beginnings--of hellos and reunions and the glory of our God. And in those perfect bodies...we will find ourselves before Him. We will be that brand new carpet that the installers just put in. We will be white. We will be pure. On the outside.

But Christ has given us the sacrament--the ordinance of baptism--so that in that perfect body, that newly-installed carpet, we will also be free of stains.

I live my life spilling my grape juice. I live my life messing up. I am not a perfect person. But I am grateful for the master Cleaner--the master Healer--who is always more than willing to give me the chance to start again. He is the Endless Spring, the Eternal Sunday... All that He asks of each of us is a broken heart and a contrite spirit...and the willingness to try one more time to carry that juice without spilling.

A stainless life, then, doesn't mean we didn't spill it.

It only means that He loves us enough to help us clean it every time we did.

It's thanks to Him that we will be able to return to the presence of the Father--white and stainless carpet, in perfected. glorious bodies... Thanks to a Savior who has cleaned up all our spills.

I have always loved the springtime. It's the season of new beginnings, of second chances, of adventure and a thousand open doors. And it's a time of healing. A spring of cleaning.

He lives...to help us erase the stains of our winter.

I love Him. I thank the Father for the cleansing and eternal spring-time gift of His Son.


I love you all! Have a wonderful week! :)

Love,
Hermana Sanford

Springtime in Viña del Mar

Baptism font selfies :)

Antonia Jorquera on her baptism day

Antonia with the Hermanas who helped prepare
her for baptism

Antonia's entire family came to her baptism

Antonia's siblings

Antonia with the Hermanas and her family

Antonia and her parents

Many members of the Rama Chorrillos supported Antonia at her baptism

With the Familia Lopez

With the Familia Caballero

With Familia Castillo

Almuerzo with the Familia Castillo

with Hna. Kessler at the home
of the Familia Castillo

Missionaries gathered for auditions for the mission
Christmas musical program--El Coro de Navidad

with Hna. Rohmer at the auditions. 

In one of her voice recordings, Morgan said she is super bummed because she will miss the Mission Christmas musical program by only a couple of weeks. "But it's okay cuz I love you guys and I've missed you, plus also it will be nice to be home and spend Christmas with you....." (nice save Morgan... Glad you have a consolation prize to look forward to.... ;)

springtime in Chorrillos