That one hurt.

So I have gotten really tired of being the only one doing dishes lately. I decided to hold out and just not do them. The sink is disgusting and the dishwasher is full of clean dishes. However, it is slowly becoming empty as everyone picks out of it. I would hand wash all the dishes I use and just leave that mess in the sink. I felt great about this new decision, I was going to teach a few girls a lesson.

Then I went to family home evening. (The activity will be a blog in the near future I can't spoil a surprise yet) It is the lesson I am blogging about. My dear friend Scott Busby gave a lesson out of one of my favorite books the Peacegiver. He told the story of David and Abigail found in 1 Samuel chapter 25. David, son of Jesse, is protecting the sheep of a wealthy man by the name of Nabal. David sends his men to Nabal to request provisions to aid them in protecting the sheep. Nabal refuses them and says he does not know David. David becomes angry and gathers his men and they march to Carmel to confront this Nabal. Meanwhile, Nabals wife, Abigail, gets word of this situation. She immediately has Nabals men pack the provisions David had requested and more, and sends them to meet David. She also herself goes out to meet David. When she comes to David and his men she bows down before them and says "Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be." David is surprised that she wants to take upon herself Nabals mistakes. To that Abigail says not only am I taking his sin upon me but I am preventing you from taking a mans life, thus bringing sin upon yourself. David accepts the offerings Abigail has brought him.

I love this story. Here two men have sinned first Nabal when he refuses to help David and second, David when he desires revenge (though he never acted he sinned in his heart). This story shows how the atonement is not only for sinners but for those affected by sin. When we are sinned against we are given the opportunity to act. We can brush it off and act in a Christlike way or we can seek revenge, thus, sinning ourselves. The atonement allows us an escape from that, because the Lord forgives the sinner and we don't have to do anything. If we do act, we are saying the price the Lord has paid for that person is not enough, more needs to be done. In this story Abigail is a type of Christ. She takes upon her Nabals sin so that David can go away sinless.

Upon hearing this story I started feeling guilty about not just doing the dishes. The Lord has paid for my roommates 'shortcomings' (and of course my long list of problems) it is not my place to make them pay. I should just go about my days and do things the way the Lord would have it done. I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, and feel forever indebted to him. How often do I find myself marching down that road to Carmel? In taking that march I am saying to the Lord, that I love, that he has not done enough. Scary thought.
So I decided I would go home and do the dishes.
Unfortunately...someone else got to them first.