Have you ever had one of those moments when you suddenly realise you do some silly things?
Around ten years ago I purchased a nice stationery set. It had multiple compartments with pen, pencil, eraser, drawing pins, PLUS some brightly coloured, stripey paperclips. I liked those paperclips. They were fun. Happy. Trendy. (I bet you were unaware that paperclips had such a range of emotions & qualities.) I put them in my paperclip dispenser right next to the plain old metal ones.
Time ticked by.
Last year, a whole decade of my life having moved along, and I suddenly observed that I still had ALL of those stripey paperclips. Whenever I had to use a paperclip I'd see those stripey ones and make a judgement call that this piece of paper was just not good enough for them to be used on. They had to be saved for a special occasion. Then I began to think...
What is this grand document I'm waiting for that will warrant their use? What precious parchment, what valuable text, what sacred artefact would be worthy of being held together by a glorious stripey paperclip?Would the receiver of my paperclipped exhibit open the letter and on seeing the bright stripes instantly recognise that this was no ordinary epistle. Would there be a hush in the office as everyone gathered around to hear the words that had waited a whole decade to be voiced. Would it be gently placed under glass or framed so that this 'paperclip' moment would not be forgotten? I think not.
I decided then to let them go. Run. You're Free... (I have to admit I did feel a pang of regret for using them on just a regular bit of paper, but Bishop assured me that it was okay, and that maybe I was taking the steps of repentance too much to heart, and "my, look at the time, would love to stay and discuss it more, but must dash". Busy man that Bishop.)
Quirky? Odd? Weird? Inefficient? Ineffective? Uninspired? All of the above?
I feel pretty confident that there is no divine concern over whether I choose stripes or plain clips. There are, to my knowledge, no scriptures on the matter, and I've waited every General Conference for someone to address such a weighty issue as the proper use of a paperclip (you'd at least think they'd include it in Personal Progress or Duty to God).
The fact is... sometimes I do silly things. (My wife has the complete list available.)
The next fact is... I can change.
The next, next fact is... I'm a natural man trying his best to evolve into something more glorious and parts of me just take longer than others to catch up.
My final fact is... I still have one 'special' clip left. It is black and yellow. Very trendy. I would use it today if needed, but what if I have a really special letter I need to send in ten years time. Better hang on to it just in case. (Did I just ruin the whole analogy?)
