Spanish Town - 10

I've had a lot of bicycle troubles recently. As I was patching and re-patching my front tube for (what seemed like) the millionth time, I figured that there surely must be some sort of lesson I can learn from this. Surely I could learn something from these collective hours and hours of bicycle repairs.

I got a puncture in the front tube of my stallion of a bicycle. What should have been a simple fix had cost hours of precious proselyting and personal time throughout the week. When I got the puncture, rather than take the time to patch it well, I rushed it and had to bear the consequences. The patch held until the next day when I woke up with a flat. Air had leaked through the side of the patch. I added another patch over the leak and went about the day. Several hours later I got a flat again and repeated the processes of covering air-leaking patches with more patches. I consistently got a flat every morning and occasionally throughout the day as the patches eventually gave in. I wasn't able to completely fix the issue until I ripped off all the old patches and addressed the original problem. By this time, my small hole and grown to a nice rip. This time I took my time. I roughed it well, I applied plenty of solution, and worked the large patch in. It took longer, but after this patch my tube was healed and 'as new.'

I related my frustrating and stressful experience with my tube to repentance. Throughout our life we will all get 'punctures.' None of us are perfect. If we try to simply cover our problems, hide them, and be in denial, we will never repair ourselves. We may justify ourselves in 'riding a little bit,' but we'll never be comfortable because we know that this can't hold. To address what may have been a simple problem and live 'guilt free' we must address the situation the right way. Even though it may take longer, it's always worth. Repentance should not and cannot be avoided. When we recognize our faults we must immediately address them with the Lord (and maybe Bishop) and fix the issue before it gets to big where it's much more difficult to fix.

Although it was frustrating to have these bicycle issues, I'm glad to have learned them. I've learned a valuable lesson on the Atonement, and it's only strengthened my testimony on the subject.

Elder Ritchie