Love and Serve~

 

Today in my morning prayers my heart felt heavy. Yesterday was a difficult day due to my dear brother having radical neck surgery for cancer. He was in surgery for almost 7 hours. I talked with my sweet sister in law a few times during the day. I know how hard it is to wait for a spouse to come back down from surgery. I remember the hours of waiting for my sweet husband to return from a double by-pass surgery.  My children were unable to be with me on that day; but I had a dear friend that showed up at the hospital to sit with me. What a blessing she was to me that day.
I have been feeling very sad about it. I have been praying so hard for this brother. My oldest brother passed away 3 years ago and he is now my only remaining brother. I love him deeply and have been praying constantly for him.
In addition, our Inner City Mission is drawing to a close. I worry about all the many people that we have been assigned to help. There is always the question did we do enough? I wanted very much to lift them out of their present conditions and environment. There have been several moments of joy but also times of sadness when there is nothing more you can do to assist them.
I asked my Heavenly Father what I can do this day to feel better. I think I already knew the answer, but I needed to feel His love and to know the direction to take. I was drawn to a folder that I keep to help me with ideas for my blog. I  do try hard to write of joyous moments and also those experiences of struggle. I found the blessed words for today and that is LOVE and SERVE  
The apostle Paul taught; "By love serve one another." President David O. McKay said the following; "Man's greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of other.
In a message given my our Prophet; President Thomas S. Monson, he stated the following: " I am confident it is the intention of each member of the Church to serve and to help those in need. At baptism we covenanted to "bear one another's burdens, that they may be light." How many times has your heart been touched as you have witnessed the need of another? How often have you intended to be the one to help? and yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and you've left it for others to help, feeling that "oh, surely someone will take care of that need.
We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we're doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the "thick of thin thing." in other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of those things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes.
....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 up on the earth, with the mandate to serve and to lift His children. He is dependent upon each of us."
I know that I was drawn to this folder as an answer to my prayer. I need to stop, reevaluate my days that I might try ever harder to keep that covenant to "bear one another's burdens, that they may be light."
I know exactly how to feel better, I pray that even today I may know who I might love a little more, who I might lift in some way. Who's heart can I touch with a moment of kindness.
I love this little  poem shared by President Monson.

 

"I have wept in the night

For the shortness of sight

That to somebody's need made me blind;

But I never have yet

Felt a tinge of regret

For being a little too kind."

Anonymous~

 

One of my favorite hymns is "Have I done Any Good In The World Today"??

 May we all evaluate our days and find time to love and serve one another. It really is the cure for those down days.