Broomsticks Are For Cleaning House

Maybe you've seen this one floating around on facebook: "Women are angels. And when someone breaks our wings we simply continue to fly---on a broomstick." (Author unknown)

I wish I'd never ridden on one, but I daresay everyone has. We all have bad days when we're hungry, tired, stressed, sad, etc. and then someone comes along and clips our wings. They may do it intentionally, but I think most of the time we don't intend to do that to each other; but then, in our righteous indignation and pride, we mount that broom. The scriptures teach us that "pride" is the thing that gives lift to our broom. The air gets thinner up there and it's easier to look down on others and blame everyone else for our misery. While we may not really believe that misery loves company, somehow we perceive it's easier to breath up there, when we share the pain!

The world defines a cronically proud person as a narssist, or someone who can't climb off their broom, because of their own insecurities and real or perceived pain and injustice! They have little tolerance or compassion for others, simply because they only see their own problems and pain. While neurotics on the other hand, after their pride flairs up, land their brooms way too hard! They are so hard on themselves that they conclude they must somehow deserve the wing clips. Why else would someone do this to them? So then they beat themselves up with their broken wings, trying to figure out what they did wrong.

I'm so grateful (there's that word again!) for the gospel of Jesus Christ that teaches us how to really fly, how to mend our broken hearts through the atonement, and how to give lift to each others wings! I want to be like the healthiest people, who are slow to take offense, quick to forgive those who hurt them, and don't spend much time on a broom, but instead use it to help their neighbor and to clean their own house with!