What kind of leper am I?

               I am taking a institute class this summer on the parables of Jesus Christ, this week we talked all about the wheat and tares parable. My teacher kept phrasing his lecture by asking questions to judge people in our lives like "you know that person on your mission who was like a seed tossed in rocky soil" it didn't sit well with me. I realized the teacher was asking us to judge another's eternal wealth. (The teacher is good I like him besides this post isn't about him) I think I was commanded to not do that type of judging but honestly that's what I've done in the past when I hear parables. Whether its wheat, the ten virgins or the ten lepers. I realized in that class a very important lesson the parables aren't for seeing wicked in others, their for seeing where we are in our own life.

               The next day I was feeling pouty about myself and I said something to myself like "I feel like a leper I don't fit in and I'm just as scared too anyways". Then came along a realization I am a leper and I better remember it! I'm far from perfect and my goal on the earth is to become better. Then the thought came to me how blessed I have been this past year. The savior has lifted me out of situations I needed to get out of and he kept a fire full of hope in the future through all of it. He has healed me from all the scars of the past.

             So how was I showing my gratitude towards him that day? I pouted around that my life isn't going exactly how I imagined!? On that day I was not behaving like the one leper that came back to Christ in praise. I was acting like  the nine who got what they needed from him and moved on. Learning how to properly apply the teachings of parables has given me a great blessing of being able to constantly evaluate if I'm following in the saviors foot steps. In doing so hopefully I do some good in others lives along the way.

VHS.

I treated myself as a VHS tape outdated and disliked but that hasn't stopped me from trying. I've been rewinding for months watching the past four years in reverse. I waited on my knees next to the VCR to get to the start. With a itchy finger waiting to press play and hope it would be better a second time around. When I got to press play I found all I wanted to do was to tape over those years and restart from when I felt my finest. It was a time when I felt like I had limitless possibilities but reality is crueler and more loving than a plastic box. I can't tape over what was done. No one can all our tabs are broken out, and scotch tape just wont cut it. I'm left with only one way to turn this into something amazing I have to just redeem myself in the sequel. It is a rare achievement indeed but I found a secret weapon while I was rewinding. I got a new director this time around hes a great one and I was a fool to not hire him from the beginning.