I was recently reminded of the old saying, “There’s no use crying over spilt milk” when a helpful family member noticed that the milk had been left out on the table after breakfast and enthusiastically picked it up before realizing that the lid had only been set on the jug.

It took many hands with rags to wipe up and then clean the milk from the floor, cupboards, and chairs that two twists of the hand could have saved. It was also a small thing for many hands with rags cheerfully working together to clean up the mess. On my hands and knees with a rag, I realized that one of the beauties of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is that when we choose to follow Him many of life’s messes are avoided. Yet, when we as humans become casual in our care of His commandments, when we are less than we could be, He sends help and comes running Himself, drawing us closer to our brothers and sisters and Him as we clean up the mess.

Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, both our faithful diligence and our less than valiant efforts can be for our gain. In our goodness and in our weakness it is to Whom we turn that makes all the difference. “The Lord does not require perfect faith for us to have access to His perfect power. But He does ask us to believe….trust in His mercy, His infinite love, and His strengthening, healing and redeeming power. The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith.” (President Russell M. Nelson, April 2021)

He will bless our strengths and our weakness as we turn to Him and follow Him.