Redemption

I sometimes take my car in to be "detailed".  Not really, I just get the basic "full service", not the deluxe or supreme or whatever else they have.  But still, they wash the exterior, vacuum the interior, wash the windows inside and out, and wipe down the consoles.  I could do that all myself.  But I'm lazy. 

The last couple of times I did it though, it seemed like it was a sloppy job.  The vacuuming wasn't as thorough and the console was hardly wiped down.  I started to think I should look around for a new place to go to.  Today I decided I really needed to vacuum the car in preparations for our trip next week.  But the weatherman said it was going to be in the 90s.  Did I mention I'm lazy?  Yeah, so out of pure laziness, I decided to go get the car "detailed" again.

This time, since Rori can be hard to keep entertained in a plain, boring waiting room, we watched the cars get washed.  When it was our car's turn, we followed it through the process and watched the boys working on wiping it down and washing the windows.  When I got my car back, it was wonderful!  It was probably the cleanest they've ever gotten it.

Now, who knows why the service was different.  Could it be that I just went on bad days the last couple of times?  Could this be a new work crew or management and there's a new focus on doing a thorough job?  Could having an audience, particularly your customer and the owner of the vehicle you're working on, influence a worker to put in a little more effort?  Maybe one or more of those things could be true.  But I know two things: 1) I'll go back now.  And 2) I'll watch them while they work on my car next time too.  Just in case. ;)

It did get me to thinking though... 

• I'm grateful for true redemption.  That even when we fall short, our Savior has already done what is needed to redeem us, if we're willing to repent and follow Him. 
• I'm glad that our Savior doesn't give up on us when we have less than stellar days.  He always gives us another chance, He's always encouraging us to do our best and to try to be better. 
• I'm grateful that we're given choices and also that we're held accountable for the choices we make.  I'm grateful that we can take time at the end of each day to "check in" with our Heavenly Father and account for our actions that day.  It helps me want to make the right choices throughout the day so I don't have a "bad report". 
• And it helps to have others that we can be accountable to, too.  It's good to have a workout buddy when you're trying to get in shape.  It's good to have your spouse or child remind you that it's time for prayers and scripture study when you've made a goal to do those things together. 

Who knew that getting your car washed could be such a spiritual experience! lol