Service

Mother,

This is a tough one for me. Do you ever feel like you just aren’t doing enough but you really don’t know what else to do?? Ya, me neither. I am totally kidding!

I really do feel at times that I could be doing more and find myself looking for those opportunities. Sometimes I come up empty handed and other times over my head. Either way it makes me happy.

I thought of several service opportunities that will impact my life forever. People I have physically served but they have forever spiritually served me!!

1. Special Olympics – Volunteering for this event humbled me tremendously. I remember a young man getting into the water for a race and the crowd cheered at his success of just getting in the water. He didn’t race, he just got in. I have realized success isn’t measured by what we see with our eyes, but by what is happening inside that persons heart. It was as if this young man won the race, which I truly believe he did. Weren’t you stake young womens president at that time?

2. Laurels project – Oh Boy!! This one was a test of faith in my father. Remember the family dad home taught that had a basement full of stuff/junk? Dad challenged me to organize a group of people to come to her home and clean it out. I remember getting a sign up around for volunteers to help out. It was my first ever put- myself-out-there and try to motivate people to help me with my laurels project. I remember having more then enough people, and we were done in record time. That was a neat experience for me to see how a ward would come together to help a family out. I really wish I remembered their name. Do you? It might be in my journal, I will have to check.

3. Callings – Every calling I have ever had has intimidated me to my complete dependence on the Lord. I haven’t had one calling where I thought it would be a cake walk or that I already knew what to do. The Lord knows exactly how to humble me that way. I remember my first calling was teaching the 7 turning 8 year olds. My first thought was BAPTISM. How could I an 18 year old help teach these little kids? I spent a lot of time praying about the lessons and how to reach out to them. I balled like a baby the day I was released and moved to Arizona. I still remember that sweet class who taught me how to properly serve in my calling, what an impact they had on me. Another favorite, primary chorister, I balled like a baby when I was released from that calling too. Oh and when I was released from young womens, relief society, and ,the hardest, Sunday school. I just love people and that is one thing I wish I was better at showing.

4. Jeanie Heath – I don’t think I have to go into detail for what she taught me. One amazing women that I miss. How is she by the way?

5. Nana LaForest – Man, her name just brings tears to my eyes. She taught me a lot!! I spent countless Sunday’s in her home letting her tell me the difficulties she faced in her life, tending to her daughter, and listening to her tell me the cool things she read in her scriptures. It was like an 8 year old trapped in a 70 year old body, she was just so excited about the gospel. I remember the first time I met her, she came to church in a long fur coat. I introduced myself and she said I was too young to be a president of anything. She scared me a little. I soon realized the difficult travel she had in her life and a long hard recovery she had ahead of her. I had two very tender moments with her, 1st when Leo got baptized and 2nd the day they entered the temple. I still can’t believe that months after her going through the temple she past. I miss her, she always made me laugh. Have you heard from Leo? I still wonder how he is doing now that she has past. Or Cody? Where is she at these days?

6. My family –…… need I say more there. I honestly don’t know where to begin or when to stop.

So here we go the part you hate, mom you were amazing at your acts of service. Can I list the things you did that has had an amazing impact on me…

1. Callings – Weren’t you in the stake primary presidency when dad was in the stake presidency or bishop? Oh and you had 100 kids and a few on a mission. And you were doing a paper route AND Avon? Anyway, I  observed your obedience to serve, always willing, always working hard no matter the circumstance. I believe it’s because you had no doubt that the Lord asked you to serve and it was coming directly from him. To me, there is no such thing as too much on my plate when it comes to the Lords work. If there is too much on my plate it’s most likely because I filled it with unnecessary things.

2. Mother – This would be a whole new blog to list all the service you gave as a mother, oh wait, this is a whole blog dedicated to you. Where to begin, and I doubt there is an end to all that you do. I would not be blogging about you if you didn’t have the impact you have had in my life. You even took in a few youth here and there and raised them like your own. I remember wrapped up meals on the counter for someone else in the ward. I remember the tradition of 12 days of Christmas to not one but several families in our ward. You give and give and give and give!

3. Grandma Schiess – You amaze me with this one. Just the other day you were having these regrets of how you could have done more. Are you crazy?! You were amazing with her, you were there by her side to the end of her mortal life. There is one specific moment that I remember watching you and her in the finally moments of her life, I believe it was the night before she passed. You were reading scriptures to her, brought hymns to play for her, and you talked to her. It was an amazing act of service to not walk out of that room and proclaim it was too hard. You unselfishly acted on behalf of your mother. I sat in that room and could feel the sweet spirit that you and your mother shared. It is a memory of love and service that I will always remember.

Your kind service doesn’t end. Currently, you work in the temple two days a week, manage to find time to search out our ancestors, serve as a counselor in the relief society presidency, type up patriarchal blessings, babysit, talk to me weekly sometimes daily, talk to all your kids weekly, among so many other things that I physically can’t see or even know about.

What do you have to gain by this? What is the reward of such service? Why do you serve?

I know I serve because of the person you have molded me into, because of the example you set, and most importantly because charity never fails those in need.

Elder Oaks said, “I know that God expects us to work to purify our hearts and our thoughts so that we may serve one another for the highest and best reason, the pure love of Christ.”

Mom, why must you be so amazing? It’s a blessing to me to have an example of service. All your kids are doers, hard workers, and motivated by a loving Father in Heaven. Thank you!

So now what is it I can learn from your example of service that can help me be a better mother? Well, Everything!!

I decided to set two goals of service:

1. Not to refuse the opportunity to serve, and to embrace it with a smile.

2. Remember, “…when ye are in the service of your ^cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God”

I am grateful for these Christ like qualities that I can strive to develop in myself. I am grateful that there are tons of opportunities to become like He is. I am grateful that He allows me to see my weaknesses so I can strengthen them.

It is good to remind myself that, “the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind”, and that isn’t much compared to what He has given me.

Thanks for being a mother of service to me!!

I love you,

Kathy