Making it hard to be legal...

So I've been in Maryland now for 68 days. I feel guilty every time I walk out to my vehicles and I see that I am still sporting Lone Star license plates bearing the name of the great State of Texas. It is not that I'm ashamed of Texas, far from it, I love Texas and think it is a wonderful place. I was married there, all of my kids were born there, we have family and lots of friends in Texas so it's always going to be a special part of my life.
It's just that I believe home is where you hang your hat and that I should bloom where I'm planted. God has called me to make Maryland my home. I want to have Maryland plates on my vehicles as a good citizen under the authority of the powers that be because Romans 13:1-4 commands it of me and I used to be a policeman who enforced this kind of stuff. Not to mention I'm sure everyone in my church is wondering if I want to go back to Texas.
It should be a simple process really, go down to the DMV (or the MVA as they call it here), give them your info, pay the fee and walk out with plates. How hard could this be? Well much harder than I imagined. Need to get a MD DL first. After a long afternoon and several trips home to get more documentation, I finally got that. My wife Cheryl asked me if I wanted to go try to register the cars that same day and I said no, didn't think I had the patience for that.
I talked to the guy at the answer desk, think I've got all the documents. Except before you can get your plates your cars have to be inspected. Now I have to find a mechanic I can trust and that whole thing. Well of course there are numerous things wrong so far with my truck and I'm sure the list for Cheryl's car is going to be a problem. Already know I need a windshield for it. Lot's of money out the door and still no plates. Every local I talk to about this process warns me the price tag at the MVA is going be outrageous too.
Needless to say, it's frustrating to try and do what's right and in this case what's legal, knowing its going to cost me dearly in time, energy and resources to jump through all the government hoops just to get some license plates. I've got other stuff I'd rather spend money and my time on than to try and satisfy the law. This whole process is a reminder to me that we humans can really mess up the simple and complicate it with lots of rules and regulations to try and legislate behavior.
It's only gotten worse since Adam and Eve ruined God's perfect environment. They found out the hard way that the law is never satisfied. My problem getting legal in Maryland is a lot like Adam and Eve's problem in getting legal with God. Fortunately, God's grace is what provided for Adam and Eve and also a means for us to be right with God through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ on a cruel Roman cross. When I accepted His gift of salvation by faith, I was made "legal" with God. Being made right with God is a far more simple process than getting license plates in Maryland! Becoming a Christian is a simple as ABC...admit you are a sinner falling short of God's standard of perfection, believe that Jesus Christ died in your place, was buried in your place and that He rose again, then confess him as your Lord and Savior and commit to live for Him the rest of your life. I like God's plan to be legal much better. Maybe the State of Maryland could learn from God a little something about simplicity and grace...but there's probably a rule somewhere...
From my little corner to yours...