The Letter of the Law

There is two parts to every law. The letter and the spirit. Where I live, we have pretty strict deed restrictions.  Ask my parents, they got sooo many letters about their pink flamingos from the home owners association they finally caved and took them down. Don't even ask about the roofing material on the driveway, or the grill under the carport... it's sooo silly.  There are rules about how long your grass can grow, how many times you can leave your car in the street, and where they can park (um, not within 20 feet of the fire hydrant.. sorry, Officer..), no garage sales, no painting your house an ugly color, and so forth.   It can be obnoxious if you happen to actually know them all and abide by them.

I drive by this house every day.  It's a nice house, nice yard.  Normally, I wouldn't think twice about it.  It looks like most houses do.

Occasionally people have a life and decide their grass can wait, and sometimes they go out of town.  Although, given the state the yard has been in for 10 months, they must go a lot.  But, it's not a bad yard, it gets by and I like the giant trees.  Although, I feel bad for the one struggling little azalea bush, it looks like of sad.  This house doesn't get home owner's letters complaining about the grass or silly pink statues, surprisingly they are following every rule as far as deed restrictions go.

Take this house, however.  It's the next door neighbor to the other guy.  I know they have a giant dead spot in their yard, but if you look closely, the house is in good repair, their grass is neatly mowed, and their garden is so pretty (that dead spot is pretty recent, I don't know what happened).  I love to drive by this house and admire the yard, it just emits sunshine and happiness.  Although you can't see all that in the picture because my camera just can't capture it, just pretend.

No one said they had to paint the house, or plant the flowers, or keep the garden weeded.  They don't have to do everything they do.  They would be following the "law" (if you can call deed restrictions that..) without all the pretty stuff. It's all optional.  But, they have chosen something better.  They have chosen to not only follow the letter of the law by keeping their yard presentable, they are following the spirit of the law.  And their yard is beautiful.

Russell M. Nelson said, "Avoid poisons of faith such as sin, pornography, or barely abiding the letter of the law instead of embracing the ennobling spirit of the law. Remember, “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (2 Cor. 3:6.)"

I've thought about the importance of following the spirit of the law for quite a long time.  I drive by both houses almost daily, and I always think about what a difference there is in these two homes.  I'd much rather live in and see the second one.  And those thoughts go beyond these two houses.  This is how our spirits can be, and how are spirits are will show on our countenance.  If we want to have a happy life, full of meaning and joy we need to be following the spirit of the law, not just the letter of the law.  I like to think of the law as things that we should be doing in our lives.  Sure, we have a calling and we do the bare minimum requirements to get by, but is that really the spirit of things?  Wouldn't we be blessed so much more if our hearts were in the right place and we did a smidge bit more?   That's what I think of when I drive by those houses, things I could and should be doing better at and I'm glad they're there to remind me.  So, thank you, green-thumbed neighbors, you are an inspiration to us all. 

Now maybe someday I'll get off my tush and get those things done...