The Bus Driver

We had just finished eating at a Taco Bell, when I saw a bumper sticker on the back of a mini van that caught my eye. It read:

'It's ok, I'm a School Bus Driver, all my problems are behind me.'

Now my first reaction to this was a chuckle of course--I've been there. The minute I would step onto those giant yellow playgrounds I'd  unconsciously give myself permission to have at it - race to the back seat, defend it till death, or at least settle for the isle seat, and get ready for the awesome trip ahead. Needless to say, I do not have 'bus driver' on my list of 'Stuff i'd like to do for a living'. Kudos and a plate of cookies to all those bus drivers out there...

Anyways, my life has been so enveloped in tying all things to a spiritual aspect lately that I began pondering the attitude about life that this phrase could imply. 'All my problems are behind me'. At times I make mistakes-ok, most of the time I make mistakes, but then I try and fix those and move on, leaving those problems behind me. I learn from those mistakes and in that sense they remain at the back of my mind (or bus) so that I don't go through it again, but I continue down my road that is called life.



Me with some of the squirts
 at my High School Graduation



Now i'm not saying children are my problems, I don't have any yet, and I would never consider the 11 (two pending, and one I haven't met yet) neices and nephews I have as problems. I have had the little squirts climb all over me, but love them to death. These 'problems' I refer to are the ones we all know about, and have.

Sometimes I make mistakes and put them right on the windshield, puting my entire focus upon them and not letting go, other times I just let them off at the next stop, just so I can pick it right back up the next time around and go through the process all over again. What i'm getting at is learning, letting go, and living on.

I am thankful for the gift from God called repentance. I love the fact that I can change for the better, that not one of us need to dwell upon the fact that we messed up. What a glorious hope-filled message, the opportunity to change. To become closer, and more like, God, who does not mess up. The fruits of repentance that are so wonderful inspire us to share it with others. (see 1 Nephi 8:11) To repent we must simply acknowledge we did something wrong, admit to God-in the name of Jesus Christ-we did wrong, ask for forgiveness, then learn from that mistake and do your best to never do it again. If you have never tried this, do it! I know that forgiveness is available to all of us, and that we all have the ability to put our problems behind us, and move on down our paths with the joy and potential God has in store for each one of us.

So when life gives you problems, be a school bus driver, and move on down the road.