Tuesday, November 11, 2014

#20 Continued

I would like to take a few minutes this mid week to bring back up lesson 20.


Love and Concern for all our Father's Children


There was just so much good in this lesson and it just hit so close to home for me. There was just so much in the lesson, I felt it needed addressed again. I am taking from the lesson, but also adding my own 2 cents.


Someone commented in class, We all learn by experience, but the wisest of us learn from others experience.
I thought this was a wonderful saying. Just like mistakes. We can learn from our mistakes, but how much easier would it be to learn from others.

The lesson talked about service. It was mentioned that Sister Rolfe had her son serve someone, and help them move. He was worried about how he was perceived, due to his appearance.
However, his service was greatly appreciated. He received a thank you card that he still treasures to this day. We often preach the importance of serving others, but it was mentioned how we need to allow others and even insist others serve us. It is one thing to go into someone's  house to serve, but allowing them into our house to serve shows trust and love.

People need to be needed.

Sister Gordon mentioned a saying she likes,  "if we treat people merely as they are they will stay as they are. When we treat them as if they are what they could be they will become what they could be."
It reminded me of a quote by Abraham Lincoln:
Another talk was mentioned that you might want to read: It is from October 2014 conference by Dallin H Oaks, Loving Others and Living with Differences
 
My mom has MS and is not mobile. Because of that she has a mailing list for visiting teaching. For about 10 years now, she has mailed the relief society news letter every month to her sisters. Every year she remembers and mails a birthday card to them also. A few months ago, she was called by one of these sisters. The sister was going in for surgery and wanted a blessing. She also expressed desire to return to church. On Sunday, she came to church. My mom got to meet her face to face. She asked if she could call my mom and ask her some questions. Monday she called my mom and they talked. She expressed how she was offended by the gospel principals teacher. My mom expressed to her that she had had a wonderful experience in sacrament meeting and now satan was doing his best to keep her away, he didn't want her to return to the fold after so long with him. The lady said that is what she figured. My mom also said that the teacher probably didn't mean what was said the way it was perceived. This dear lady also asked my mom about how she goes about paying her tithing.
My mother shared this story with me (and I share it with you) not to pat herself on her back, (that is so not her way) but to remind me to never give up. She said she wondered if anyone read the letters she sent over the years, and she thought about giving up many times, but kept going. Perseverance is sometimes key.  

Love others sisters. Even when they make it hard to love them. That is probably when they need it the most. Love.
 


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