Service and Healing

     We had a lesson on service in our church meetings today. They showed a video called “Lift” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAuqdPWTGLI). It is about a church group of 40-50 men who helped a lady with MS get into bed…every night…for 7 years. One of the men they interviewed said something about how we need to focus on ourself to heal physically; we need to focus on others if we want to heal spiritually. That was profound! And so true! I confess that one of my motives for serving a mission in Peru starting in April is to help me heal from Ashton’s death…as I serve others.
     During the lesson, the teacher asked who would be willing to share how they have been blessed by service. I was overcome with emotion as I thought of all the people who reached out to us when Ashton died. Those acts of service just kept coming…and coming! I needed that! Thank you, everyone, for your love and thoughtfulness.
     I also thought of my Grandma Amy, who was one of my first examples of service. For some reason, I stayed with her for part of a day when I was maybe 4 or 5 years old. I remember going to the cemetery, where she painstakingly cared for the graves of her parents; she did this regularly. I think it was on the way home from one of those cemetery visits that we stopped to visit Mrs. Campa, a blind lady who lived in St. David. To a little boy, it seemed like the visit would never end! And it smelled funny in there! But those acts of service left an impression on that little boy now grown older.
     In our church, every man…with a companion…is assigned to watch over a group of families. They are called “home teachers;” they are every member’s first place to turn in the Church when a need arises. As I have home taught over the years, I have been amazed at how often I DON’T want really want to go on a visit to my assigned families…but, when I’m done with the visits, I’m even more amazed at how much BETTER I feel! Service is healing!
     Yesterday, there was a clean-up project at Quiburi Mission Nursing Home in Benson, AZ. It was amazing how much we got done in a short period of time…and how nice it was to serve alongside other good people in the community…and how good I felt during the project and after I was done!
     Written by Carter
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