This is my favorite time of the year! I love the holidays, despite having to drive in the snow and occasionally sliding on black ice. The first, and main, reason is because I am, finally, able to spend a lot of time with my family. I don’t see my brothers and sisters nearly as much as I would like, so the holidays are especially fun with them. Our Christmas is a festive weeklong event full of gastronomic gluttony and activities that would make the Brady Bunch jealous.
And the second, is service: The best way to keep Christ in Christmas is to serve.
There are so many people who are suffering in one way or another. We all know someone who is in need, someone who’s spirit needs to be lifted, or someone who’s burdens need to be lightened.
I have been on the giving and receiving ends of such wonderful people and their gifts. I have received numerous blessings from both. One such experience happened several years ago. My father had been battling leukemia for nearly two years.
On one particular evening, the hospice nurse pulled my brothers and sisters aside to tell us that Dad would not make it through the night. The next morning, however, my father surpassed all medical odds and surprised us all by waking up. He had a lot of pain in his mouth caused by a sharp tooth. My mom called a friend and former bishop of ours who happened to be a dentist. She wanted to ask if it would be alright if she used a file on his tooth. Of course, his reply was, “No! I have tools for that”.
My mom explained that my dad wouldn’t be able to make the drive, especially the long commute to his office. Dr. Wells’ immediate response was, “Well I can!” Later that day, he arrived with his tools and took great care of my Dad and provided much needed relief to his aching mouth. Dr. Wells refused any form of payment saying that it was his honor to serve my dad. One month later my dad passed away.
There was a lot I took away from this experience. I decided that I should act on an opportunity or prompting to serve whenever it presented itself. One can’t wait until it’s too late or until the opportunity may be gone. I also learned that when we serve someone in need, we are literally an answer to a prayer.
During service in my church calling as a Young Women’s leader, our Young Women’s program always had a main focus of teaching how we could help people in our neighborhood, or people we don’t even know. The girls in this program were extremely kind hearted and they were always so enthusiastic. Coming up with ideas on how we could serve was a weekly occurrence. At Christmas time we did everything from stocking the shelves at the Bishop’s storehouse (a place where people in need could go to get food and clothing at no cost), to Christmas caroling or delivering presents to Burmese Refugees who were starting their new lives in Utah. I remember feeling so touched by these service projects that I could barely fight the tears. What a gift it was to me to be able to forget my troubles while being a small part of bringing joy into the lives of so many families in need.
Jesus taught “Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” It is no wonder that the Lord has given us this commandment again and again to love one another, to serve one another, to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, and to visit the sick.
I had the opportunity to take my boys to General Conference. I will never forget how I felt when the congregation stood and the conference hall became quiet, as our prophet entered the room. There was a man who has taught us by his example the power of service and compassion. Elder Holland, who is another one of our church leaders, paid tribute to President Monson during conference. He said that one image he will cherish until he dies is that of President Monson flying home from the then economically devastated East Germany. He was shuffling through the airport in his house slippers because he had given away, not only his second suit and his extra shirts, but the very shoes from off his feet. He continued to say, “More than any man I know, President Monson has ‘done all he could’ for the widow and the fatherless, the poor and the oppressed.”
I have always admired my parents. They, too, are wonderful examples of serving others. During the winter months my dad would always get up very early in the morning. While people were sleeping, he would anonymously plow most of the driveways and sidewalks in our neighborhood. It was very common for us to get several feet of snow, so he was especially concerned for the single mothers and the elderly.
Just one of the many special things my mom did was to make beautiful dresses and tuxedos for baby blessings. I have seen these special outfits passed down from generation to generation. She put so much love into each outfit she made. Currently she is serving in the Manila Philippines temple for the next 18 months. She loves it so much and is happiest serving those in need.
In Mosiah 2:17, King Benjamin teaches the people about the importance of service, “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”
Jesus Christ expects us to learn to serve one another. This means we not only need to serve and love others, but also allow ourselves to be served and loved. We become Christ-like when we are outside of ourselves in selfless giving.
My brother, Earl, and his wife, Tifiny, are extremely unselfish, just like our parents. They are a beautiful example of following the Lord’s commandment to serve one another, to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked. Their home has been a refuge for many abused and abandoned children. Currently, they have three biological children and have adopted close to 20. I can’t keep up so I will have to verify that number.
Karen at the age of 6 was beaten so badly by her biological mother that she went into cardiac arrest. As a result of the damage and swelling to her brain she had emergency surgery in which 3/4 of her brain had to be removed. Karen spent several months at Primary Children’s Hospital and was transferred to South Davis Medical Center where she spent the next two years of her life. Unfortunately, as a result of Karen’s injuries, she was left neglected and unwanted. She was now quadriplegic, unable to talk, and could no longer fend for herself.
When Earl and Tifiny were asked to meet Karen, they thought that they already had a full house. But the moment they met her they were in love. Karen looked at them and uttered, “home”. Those would be her first words since that tragic day in her life. They took her home and she is now surrounded by lots of loving brothers and sisters and a family who cares for her. Now she is making progress each and every day. She told me that I am her favorite aunt!!
Shawn’s mother was 14 when she delivered him, as a child herself it was impossible for her to take care of his needs. He was born blind with Cerebral Palsy and is paraplegic. Earl and Tifiny met him when he was only 6 years old. During their meeting, Tifiny picked Shawn up and held him in her arms. The caseworker and foster mother were in awe as no one up to this point had been able to calm this little child. He had spent the first 3 years of his life in misery and under less than loving circumstances. Within minutes he felt at peace with his new mother. They took Shawn home that very day and he has been happy ever since.
Aiden was born with Cerebral Palsy and is also paraplegic. Earl and Tifiny met him when he was 6 years old. He was very sickly, skinny, and hooked up to a breathing machine. Earl wasn’t sure if they would be able to take care of him, but Tifiny insisted that he needed them. Within the first month of moving into their
These are just a few of their children who were once abandoned, homeless, and literally starving for not only food but for
Not only have these children been rescued, but the lives of Earl and Tifiny will be changed forever. These children now have the gospel in their lives and are finally part and earthly family but, also, an eternal family.
My Sister Diana and her husband Conway had the opportunity to help build a school in a poor and remote village in the jungles of Guatemala. Wearing layers of insect repellent, they worked 8 hours a day alongside the locals to build a school. They mixed cement by hand and carried piles and piles of rock to clear the area which they flattened. They had done this by lifting and dropping the trunk of a tree repeatedly on the ground until it was ready for the foundation. They formed assembly lines passing buckets of water and cement. It was labor and it was hard. My sister said that it was the hardest she had ever worked in her life but she loved it. With the little Spanish skills she retained from living in Barcelona, she came to know and love these people whom she met building the school. She taught them songs in English and they taught her songs in Spanish. At meal times, the local women brought them delicious home cooked meals. The children would help by fetching tools and equipment. And, the local musicians provided entertainment. Everyone helped and they all worked side by side. Each person involved did what they could. And they were blessed due to such amazing commitment.
Of course, as amazing as this experience was for her, we can’t all travel to an underdeveloped country to do service. However, we can help others everyday in any way that can help.
My brother Paul had suggested that everyone think of a personal talent and then look for an opportunity to share it with others. He said that if he sees a car on the side of the road with a flat tire then he will stop and fix it because it’s something he can do.
I love all of my brothers and sisters. Each of them do so much for me and so many. I really could go on and on and on about them and I am sure I will at some point.
I love this message given at a Christmas Devotional by President Monson,
“Bringing the Christmas spirit into our hearts and homes takes conscious effort and planning but can surely be accomplished.” He encouraged those listening to create a spirit of love that will “fill our homes and our lives, and linger there long after the tree is down and the lights are put away for another year.”
“Let it be a time that lights the eyes of children and puts laughter on their lips,” he said. “Let it be a time for lifting the lives of those who live in loneliness. Let it be a time for calling our families together, for feeling a closeness to those who are near to us and a closeness also to those who are absent.
Let it be a time of prayers for peace, for the preservation of free principles, and for the protection of those who are far from us. Let it be a time of forgetting self and finding time for others. Let it be a time for discarding the meaningless and for stressing the true values. Let it be a time of peace because we have found peace in His teachings.
Most of all, let it be a time to remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds and the worship of the Wise Men.”
I have a testimony of service and some of my best memories of Christmas are the ones when I have taken the time to serve. It is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through service, our Heavenly Father can teach us. Service is the key to loving one another, and it’s the key to forgetting our own problems. It’s the key to becoming more Christlike. I also know that I need to be receptive to the prompting of the spirit so that I don’t miss the opportunity to be an instrument in his hands whether it be in my own home or to a random stranger thousands of miles away.
I encourage my children to ask themselves, what can I do? Especially at this time of year, as we reflect on our blessings and all the things we have in our lives. May we remember that we have been given so much and we too must give.
