Stop, Pay the Ticket, and Drive On

Drew and I were motoring home as fast as possible through the back roads of my neighborhood.  As usual, my brain was hopping from subject to subject at lighting speed.  "Wow, I  can't believe she's moving in two weeks!  I wonder what I can do to help.  Hmm, I wonder what we should have for lunch?"

Wee-ooohh. Wee-ooohh.

I wonder what that noise was?  Must have been the radio.

Wee-ooohh. Wee-ooohh.  Again.

I look in my rear view mirror and realize, no, it's not the radio.  It's a motorcycle cop.


I wonder what I did?  Maybe if I'm friendly, he won't give me a ticket.

I roll down my window and work the cheerful groove.  "Hello, Officer!" I chirped.

"Ma'am, are you aware that you blew a stop sign back there?" said Mr. Serious Officer.

"I did?  No, I had no idea."

"Yeah, that's what I thought.  I could tell because I didn't even see your head turn to look both ways at the intersection.  I don't even think you saw me.  Can I have your license and registration, please?"

The officer comes back and hands me a ticket for $81 and 4 points on my license.


Darn, no cheerful points. 

"Well, thanks, officer, and I'll pay this right away so I only have 2 points on my license," I say. 

Now, standard Becky procedure would be to perhaps cry, and then proceed to beat myself up about it for a week or so, and then get over it.  But, instead, I just laughed at myself, paid the ticket, and moved on with life.  What else could I do, right?  (Oh, and I also make sure to reaaaaalllly stop whenever I hit that intersection now.)

So it is with most things in life.  Last week I was stressing on the phone to my Mom about possibly offending somebody in a meeting last week.  My Mom said, "Remember the day you got that ticket?"

"Yeah," I replied.  "Why?"

"Remember that you just stopped, paid the ticket, and moved on with life?"

"Uh-huh."

"It's the same situation here.  You've already stopped and realized you made a mistake.  You paid the ticket by apologizing.  Now, get on with your life and let it go."

So, when you make parenting opps, or chew out a family member, or make some other boo-boo....stop, pay the ticket, and drive on.

For the Savior has already ultimately paid the ticket for you.