Compassion, Charity, Mercy, and Love

Recently, my husband took our son on our ward father's and son's camp out.  My husband spent some good time chatting with a former mission president around the campfire.  They touched on the topic of sending missionaries home (yes, sometimes LDS missionaries get sent home).  My husband and I have been guilty of taking a letter-of-the-law approach at times and would probably say in this situation, "Well, if a young man isn't behaving as he should on his mission, or if he wasn't worthy to go, then teach him his lesson: send him home."

This loving, kind, former mission president taught us something.  He said that when working with one of these young men, he'd handle it this way:  You can repent and take care of matters while on the mission and return home honorably, or we can send you home now where you'll face the embarrassment and shame of coming home early, and it will ruin your life and probably your involvement with the church (I'm sure he made it sound much nicer than that). Rather than making these young men miserable, he wanted to help them be successful. What a charitable approach.

I realized that I need to do better and give people the benefit of the doubt and to be more compassionate.  It's not my job to lay down the law; it's my job to show love and mercy as the Savior did and make life better for others.  I can leave the judging up to our Father in Heaven.

Not only does this help me be less judgmental of others, but it also, for some reason, helps me lighten up with raising my children.  I don't have to be too strict.  I don't have to make them be little adults.  They can be kids and have fun, and I can have fun with them and be a guide when they struggle just like that former mission president was with his struggling missionaries.

Money Help

Because of two little "helpers" that I have as my almost-constant companions, I don't usually get to hear much of the Sacrament Meeting talks. But, for some reason (most likely because we had grandparents with us to entertain the troops) this week things were unusually calm and I subsequently came away very much uplifted and humbled by what I heard.

One of the speakers taught about how he had seen the direct blessings of tithing, fast offerings, and other donations. In our church, we are taught that 10% of our increase should be given as tithing and that once a month as we fast we should give the money that would have gone to food as fast a offering. When possible, we are encouraged to give more that the basic amount because of the need for fast offerings to assist those that need help. Other donations can be made to various programs the church offers.

The brother that spoke told of how fast offerings of the members of his congregations had once helped their family get food in their cupboards during a time when money was scarce. Seeing this sacrifice from his neighbors made him profoundly appreciate the Lord's system to care for those that are in need.

However, the story that made me feel even more grateful for the things that I have been given and the ways that I can help others was one from his mission in Russia. During his time in Siberia he had the opportunity to translate for two senior humanitarian missionaries. One day they visited an orphanage and what he saw was truly appalling: children who didn't have beds, clothes, or enough food. Twenty to thirty babies in a room who were silent because they knew that their cries could not be answered because of extremely limited staff (the orphanage director tearfully explained that new babies would cry straight for almost 3 days until they realized that no regular help would be coming). The young missionary was overwhelmed, but the seasoned missionaries calmly made a list and left for the day. Because of the humanitarian funds of the church, all three missionaries were able to return to that orphanage with the desperately needed supplies. He described how this sweet couple were treated as celebrities because of their generous help, and this was all possible because faithful people from all over the world donate funds to church programs.

I know that Heavenly Father has given us a way that we can help others with the resources that we have. Through paying our tithing, fast offerings, and donating to other programs when possible, we can not only learn to appreciate how everything comes from the Lord, but we can demonstrate that we are willing to strengthen our neighbors - even if that neighbor might be thousands of miles away.

Parenthood

I love and value being a mother, but sometimes I need to be reminded of the importance of my work when all I notice around me are the spaghettio streaks on the wall or the yogurt-encrusted hair of my rambunctious kids. This week, that reminder of the beauty and sacredness of being a parent came from one of my new neighbors. A sweet woman that I had only briefly met before came up to me at our neighborhood playground with a beautiful baby boy in her arms. With pure joy written on her features, she explained to me that this was her new baby! She and her husband had just been able to adopt him after months of waiting and he had finally arrived. Throughout the day I witnessed both parents playing with him in the beautiful weather along with grandparents that had travelled from a foreign country to be with their new grandson. Later that day, I saw this new mother quietly rocked her son to sleep for the first time under the shade of a tree. I know that she will soon have her days of messes on the kitchen wall, but I'm also certain that she will find much joy along the way.

President Hinckley wrote that we should, "celebrate and treat children as our most priceless treasures ... If our children are really our greatest treasures, it stands to reason that they deserve our greatest attention (Standing for Something, 152)." I know that I often fall short of this ideal, but I truly hope that at the end of my lifetime I will be able to look back and see that I dedicated myself as much as I could to what matters the most.