Scrape that Car

When I was a freshman in high school my older sister was 17, and she was allowed to drive a car to school as long as she wasn't late for class.  I was allowed to sit in my sister's car which saved me from the 30 minute walk I would have done otherwise.  Of course Julie knew her schedule well, and she would park her car near the door to her classroom and walk in right on time.  I had to run to make it to the other side of the building on time.

Obviously I was grateful for the ride, but on those cold Utah winter days I knew that the car windows would need to be scraped (for my Texan friends: ice forms naturally on car windows on cold nights).  I decided I would scrape her window and warm her car to show her I was grateful for the ride... and because I couldn't afford for her to be late.  When my sister came she thanked me and I felt like I had done something good.

The next few days I scraped her windows and warmed up the car.  It meant I needed to get out there 20 freezing minutes earlier, but a little brother will do a lot to impress an older sister.  But then I noticed she didn't even say thanks when she got in the car anymore.  I realized that my awesome service didn't mean much anymore.  One particularly cold day there was a light layer of snow, and I was running behind.  I got out to the car only 5 minutes early, and I hadn't scraped half the windows or started the car by the time my sister came.

Ooo she was mad!  She had to grab a scraper and scrape half the car, and when we finally got in the car was freezing.  On the way to school I was informed of how ungrateful I was.  Julie drove the car and paid for the gas and all she asked me to do was to have it ready when it was time to go and was that too much to ask and why wasn't I ready on time because if I really wanted a ride from her I couldn't just expect to be so lazy and immature and she hadn't scheduled in the time for that and now she was going to be late which is a big deal when you're a senior and I was only a freshmen and how could I understand the trouble I had caused her that day and on and on.  I was glad when we got to the high school.

Before you blame my sister think of how often you do this.  The Lord gives us everything, and helps out of scrape after scrape.  At first we pray with sincere gratitude, but then my prayers tend to get repetitive, and the first time something goes wrong I furiously pray for God to get on the ball.  "O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?" (D&C 121:1).  If we could see it from the Lord's perspective He is saying "[I] created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto [me]"  (Mosiah 2:23).   I wonder if the Lord feels as hurt as I did, "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments." (D&C 59:21)

That afternoon I was reminded that as a passenger it was my duty to make sure Julie wasn't late.  My mother overheard the conversation and since getting to school on time is a rule for using the car she wanted to know what I had done.  I explained that I had tried to scrape the car but I was late, and besides I am lucky if I can make it to my class on time because Julie always parks on the other side of the building.  My mother then turned on Julie and informed her that she was equally responsible for scraping the windows and I did not use any extra gas and if Julie wanted to keep using her parents car she would park in the middle lot so that we could both make it to class on time.

My sister was not amused.  As she stormed to her room she sneered into my ear, "Do you need me to hold your hand and walk you to class too?"

Keep in mind that one of my goals in life was to impress my sister, and darned if that was impossible!  I tried to figure out a solution, but the fact was I couldn't erase what my mom heard, and I couldn't get Julie out of trouble, and besides I felt more than a little chagrined.  As I stared out the window I realized there was light snow melting which would turn to ice and it was supposed to snow more all night.  The car would be awful to scrape in the morning.  Then I got a plan.

I think Lord does this sometimes too.  His divine motivation is not revenge, the way my teenage brain was.  "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" (Hebrews 12:6).  There have been times in my life when a sore trial has reminded me that I have not been as close to the Lord as I should be.

The next morning twenty five minutes before it would be time to leave I put my backpack on the other side of my sisters door.  I went in the kitchen, bundled up, grabbed my personal ice scraper, and jangled my mother's set of keys (without touching Julie's keys).  Then I made a show of getting my backpack holding the ice scraper.  After I was sure my sister had seen me I headed out the front door.  Seeing a foot of new snow on the ground made my resolve waver, but an angry teenager is unstoppable.  Throwing the scraper in my backpack I ran to the high school.  I barely made it to class, exhausted, freezing, and overheated, but on time.

I never heard how Julie's morning went that day.  I do know that afternoon she came to me and told me how grateful she was that I scraped her car.  She told me we could work out a schedule and trade off who scraped the car.  And she had found the perfect place to park so that we could each make it to class on time. She didn'
t ask me if I was going with her the next day, but I did.   I scraped the car and we were both to class early.  The next day she apologized for the time she had gotten angry with me.

I think from then on I scraped the car more frequently than Julie did, but she was always expressed gratitude for the help.  Even today there are times Julie will say, "Scott, I think I was a little ornery with you as a teenager, and I am sorry.  I was learning, and I feel bad, but I want you to know how much I love you" (that's why I have never asked if she remembers that morning).  I tell her I understand.  I went through the same age, and there were times I needed to learn some lessons too.

Not every trial comes because we are ungrateful, but when I am facing a difficult time I try to remember scraping Julie's car and make a point to pray in gratitude.  If you have never tried a prayer where you only give thanks and do not ask for anything you ought to try it.  It will be harder than you think at first, but it gets easier with practice.  I promise the Lord blesses us when we are grateful, even during trials.  Gratitude will help us avoid getting into a hard scrape on a bitter cold morning.