blackrockbulletin: Adventures in Paradise 34

Adventures in Paradise 34

Kia Orana, everyone! Our excellent adventure continues with some thoughts on old shoes and other things that wear out. Earlier this week, I was trying to prolong the life of a favorite pair of sandals. They had served me well, but had seen much better days. In an effort to resuscitate them, I began to liberally apply black duct tape. This was to be followed up with a coat or two of felt-tip marker. As I worked, it became apparent that these shoes could not be saved and that I would be forced to accept the inevitable. Simply put, they were worn out.

As I thought about it, I realized that my sandals had been worn out while I had been serving others. I had worn them to church and in the sand. In those black sandals, I had walked through brambles which had scuffed the leather and I had tripped over rocks that eventually wore out the toes. My faux alligator flip-flops had been subjected to ocean and rain water, muddy roads and soggy marshes. There was no possibility of repair. I had to accept what was. I had always been partial to those sandals, but the only way that I could have saved them would have been not to have used them. Why buy a pair of shoes then never wear them? Why possess anything and not use and enjoy it. Why, indeed?

My mother owned a beautiful set of china. This china, along with a set of six crystal goblets had been wedding gifts received when she married my father in 1946. My mother treasured those things, but she never enjoyed them. My brother remembers that she said that she didn’t want to use them until she had a dining room. My mother never did have a dining room. I recall her mentioning to me, that she was fearful that a plate or one of the goblets would be broken if they were ever used. When my mother passed away, my brother asked for the china and I was thrilled to own the goblets. My brother thinks of my mother every time he sets his table with that blue and white china and I have loved enhancing my table with my mother’s stemware. I broke one of those goblets after a lovely evening with friends. I’m sorry that I broke it, but I’m not sorry that I had used it. I prefer to think that the goblet broke as a result of being used and enjoyed in the way that its creator had intended. Could we draw a parallel here to the lives that we have been given?

Most of us have experienced those moments where we do not want anything to change or

to age. We wish to keep things just as they are. We don’t want to spoil our new white Keds. The truth is that our Keds will get older and so will we, if we are lucky. Why not have a good life in those Keds and maybe do some good for someone else while we are wearing them. I have also learned that you can be as worn out at the end of the day by doing nothing as by doing something.I decided long ago, that I would rather be too busy than not busy enough.

So, my shoes are wearing out and there is only so much a roll of duct tape can do. Ward and I both have clothes that are starting to show their age, and we could say the same thing for us! The van we drive is dented and rusting, but each dent has a story to tell about a visit that was made to someone in need. All my life, I have tried to avoid prolonged sun exposure, but now, I have a tan that speaks to how often I sit outside someone’s home while enjoying time with them. We are tired, but it’s the good kind of tired that comes from spending our days reaching out to others. We are most always worn out at the end of the day, but that’s just as it should be. As he was saying his goodbyes to us, young Elder Barnett told us that at the end of the day he is always tired. With tears in his eyes, Elder Barnett said that going to bed tired was the way that he knew that he had done his best that day. He always wanted to be worn out in the service of his Heavenly Father.

So, as always, we are happy (and tired) and trying to work hard. If you can believe it, we are now half-way through our time here and we look forward to seeing you all in March. We know that we will recognize all of you when we see you again, but we are not so certain that you will know us. Simply look for the tired sunburned couple in the old clothes and worn out shoes. Oh, and yes, we will be smiling!

Love, Ward and Susan Elder and Sister Belliston, serving in the Cooks