Today was our ward conference, and while it was all good (even the 7:30 meeting I had to attend!), the thing that stuck out the most was this experience shared in Relief Society:
A young mother (YM) was struggling with a difficult morning, rushing to find shoes for her preschooler and get out the door while the other children were crying for various reasons. The phone rang. She debated about answering it. She picked it up, and it was her visiting teacher (VT).
VT: How are you doing this morning?
YM: Oh, fine!
VT: Really? Let's try that again: how are you doing this morning?
YM: Great! (thinking: I just need to get off the phone!)
VT: That's not what I heard.
YM: (looking out the window to see which of her neighbors might have seen her frustration) Why, who have you been talking to?
VT: Heavenly Father.
The visiting teacher arranged to lend a hand that day. The mother was incredibly humbled to realize that 1) Heavenly Father was aware of even her more minor distresses, and that 2) her visiting teacher was praying for her consistently and receiving direction as to how to be of service.
This took place several years ago, and the mother (who was our speaker) ran into her former visiting teacher recently. She told her that she would be relating this experience in ward conference and the other woman said, "I don't even remember that." This humbled the mother further, to think that such incidents are such a part of her friend's life that they don't even stand out in her memory.
It's wonderful to think that we can make a big difference in each others' lives, and that sometimes by very small means are great things brought to pass. I know I'm inspired to do better.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
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5 comments:
Thanks for reminding me about truly caring and serving.
I have a particularly needy sister to visit on my route. And, she really does have many troubles to deal with. I have found that the simplest kindness and special communications are of real help an support to her. It's easy to find ways to reach out when prayer is the foundation, and sometimes these ways are so simple that I might not give thought to them.
We had a great talk today by one of the YW youth leaders and I was inspired to more fully understand my divine nature.
I love it that the visiting teaching said, "That's not what I heard" based on inspiration from the Lord! I want to be that kind of visiting teacher, and how comforting would it be to have a visiting teacher like that?!
I don't know why I can't get my act together with visiting teaching! I hear stories like this and think, "I can do this! I'm good enough, smart enough and gosh darn it, I like myself!" and then life gets in the way and another month goes by and I miss doing my visiting teaching again. That's it! No more excuses! New me---here I come!
i've kind of struggled with VT in the past too- Not that this excuses it, but I've never had good visiting teachers (only visited 2x in the last 3 1/2 years)and I've never had one of those really significant experiences. Sounds like i need to make one.
I enjoyed and appreciated the story, but I still laughed when she said 'Heavenly Father.' It could sound a little crazy coming from the wrong mouth.
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