An Active Participant on the Stage of Service

"I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants."

Why am I healthy? Why am I blessed to live in a home? Why am I blessed with safety? With the necessities and luxuries of life? While others live in poverty, war, sickness, and duress? 

"To whom much is given, much is required". I do not have more because I am more favored or blest. I have more so that I may give more of what I have; it's that simple. 

The inconsistencies of life--the law of opposition-- prove the necessity of reciprocity. 

We are here to extend compassion, love, forgiveness, and help. When I'm in good health I administer to those who are not; when I am on the road to success I elevate others to success.  I do this because when I am experiencing the flipside of the law of opposition, I am the one in need of humanities extension of love, service, and help. 

These past few weeks my family has been on the "decline", dealing with what seemed like a bout of bad luck—from injuries, sicknesses, snowstorms, urgent care and hospital visits, to surgery.  At the end of last week I felt like my reservoir of love, service, and giving back to humanity was empty...I was running on fumes. 

I can not begin to express how grateful I was to family, friends, and people I'd never met, who extended their helping hand either through a phone call, a prayer, or a comment of concern left on my Instagram or Facebook. Humanity came through for my family and now that we are back "on the saddle", it's time to pay it forward. 

President Monson said: "There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save. The blessings of eternity await you. Yours is the privilege to be not spectators but participants on the stage of … service.”6  

In accordance with President Monson’s remarks, Mike and I have made it our goal as a family this year to step away from being merely spectators or seasonal givers, and find some way-- large or small--we can serve each month.

 January we took the kiddos to a highly littered road by our home and picked up trash. Every time we drive by that road Beckahm says, "that's where we picked up trash". That day we left a little part of the world cleaner and more beautiful. 

With February being the month of "love", and going through the trying moments that came as a result of Amari’s sickness, this months service adventure could not be more fitting: assembling care packages for sick children at Children's Hospital. 

It was difficult for us to stay 2 nights in the hospital, getting little to no sleep, having nurses come in at all hours to check vitals, having no real place for our 1 year old to run and play, and missing out on eating home cooked meals. Our situation only made me reflect on the hundreds of thousands of children and families—whose hospital is their home—fighting the good fight against disease and sickness every day. My heart goes out to them for the fatigue, stress, concern, frustration, and sadness they must feel on a daily/weekly basis. 

I wish there was more we could do, but I am grateful for the privilege I have to make a child’s day a bit brighter by actively participating in bettering their life as so many people have bettered my own over the years.

I pray daily for you, you little conquerors, you soldiers fighting battles of sickness, pain, and fatigue.  I pray that you will be strong, courageous, and bold. That you will not let any ailment or fear defeat you. That you will keep dreaming, hoping, and believing that one day you will know what it's like to live without pain. That you are THAT awesome, THAT amazing, and THAT loved. Never give up little soldiers— little keepers of humanities dreams, imaginations, creativity, magic, wonder and awe. You are our superheroes--your light, your love, your strength, your hope, is the betterment of us all.

I dedicate this beautiful, moving song to you:

President Thomas S. Monson regarding our duty to serve: 

The Lord Jesus Christ taught, “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:24).

“I believe,” said President Thomas S. Monson, “the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.”1

“My brothers and sisters, we are surrounded by those in need of our attention, our encouragement, our support, our comfort, our kindness—be they family members, friends, acquaintances, or strangers. We are the Lord’s hands here upon the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us. …

 “That service to which all of us have been called is the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.”3

“We bless others as we serve in the shadow of ‘Jesus of Nazareth … who went about doing good’ [Acts 10:38]. God bless us to find joy in serving our Father in Heaven as we serve His children on earth.”4




#service #children #love #givingback #trial #opposition