* There will be a baptism this Saturday (September 1) for those that are able to attend ~ We would really appreciate your support. It will be at the Belmont Ward Bldg @ 8:30 am for Nathan and McKenzie Taylor.
* September 4th we will be having Ministering interviews.
* September 11th @ 6 pm we will be putting together the Chemo Kits. Please purchase the items listed on the side bar of this blog to bring to help put the kits together.
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Today's discussion was facilitated by Sister Louisa Joy. She told of how when she was first instructed that she would be teaching on ministering this was one discussion that she really wanted to have. What she decided to discuss was Ministering with Christlike Attributes.
Sister Joy then began by saying, "Christ was the greatest example of how we need to live our lives. We should be trying to emulate Him in our ministering to others. Can you think of examples in your life of people that are Christlike? How can we be more Christlike?"
One of the sisters responded that often we have parts and pieces of Christlike attributes, but that we don't have all of them. She said we only show one or two but we never have them all like the Savior did.
Sister Clark said that thinking of the Savior, she loves the pictures of Christ with the little children. Christ had unconditional love for the children (and for us all). She said that as we learn to love others, our love broadens and continues to grow larger and larger.
Sister Louisa commented that she would consider this being without Guile and Hypocrisy. She said that this is how little children are. Christ was this way. Being like little children helps us to be more Christlike. We need to be willing to be open to making new friends. She then read a quote from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. It said, "To beguile is to deceive or lead astray. A person without guile is a person of innocence, honest intent and pure motives, whose life reflects the simple practice of conforming his [or her] daily actions to principles of integrity. I believe the necessity for the members of the Church to be without guile may be more urgent now than at other times because many in the world apparently do not understand the importance of this virtue."
She then asked, "How can being without guile or hypocrisy help us to minister in a more Christlike way?
A sister commented that often in our lives we have been hurt or have felt judged and so we have built walls. When we do this it is hard for us to be child-like and make friends easily. But we need to do this, we need to learn to let those walls fall and be Christlike. There are times when people in church or our places of work are nice to us and will say hello, but that is as far as it goes. They are not willing to include others in their groups of friends. As members of the Church, we need to be more inclusive of those that are new. We need to be like Christ was and include others.
Can you think of examples of someone in your life that was a good example of Christlike behavior?
Sister White commented that her mom is a great example to her. She said that her mother is one of those people that is always willing to talk and reach out to others. She said that all of her life, her mother has been this way. When they are at a store or anywhere, her mom is always speaking to other people in kindness. She said that often her mother compliments strangers, and she is sincere in her compliments. She makes other people feel good about themselves. Sister White said that she wishes she were more like her mom. She also said that often we are too interested in our devises and we don't even notice others around us.
Sister Joy commented that Sister White's mom probably has touched a lot of lives and she doesn't even know it. It seems like people like that seem to stand out.
I know that when I see people like that it makes me want to be their friends and be with them. They seem to uplift anyone they are with.
Sister Joy then asked, "Do any of the young women know someone like that at school?"
Sister Clark commented that her son is this way. He seems to make friends with anyone and he is always happy.
Sister Joy then asked, "Can you think of anyone else that is like this?"
Sister Ellis commented that Brother Stringham is this way. She said, "Brother Stringham will sometimes just drive around looking for others that may be in need. He will often times see if someone is out and stop and talk with them."
Sister Ashby said that this is true. She said that when her husband was in the hospital Brother Stringham helped her. She then went on to tell how when she had gone home for a break from the hospital, her husband had told her that he needed her to move the tractor that was in their yard so that the watering could be done. When she tried to move it, it broke off a sprinkler that her husband had just put in. She was crying and didn't know what to do because they couldn't use the sprinkler system with the head broken off. Just then Brother Stringham went by. She waved him down and he stopped. She told him what had happened. He asked if they had any spare parts. She told him she didn't know, but showed him what they had in their garage. Brother Stringham went to work repairing their sprinkler. She had to leave him there working while she ran back to the hospital. When she got home it was fixed and the sprinklers were working.
Then Sister Ashby told of another time when Brother Stringham had helped her. She said she wasn't feeling well and asked her daughter to run and call Brother Stringham to see if he could come and give her a blessing because her husband was at work. Brother Stringham came with another priesthood brother and they were able to give her a blessing. She found out that it had been appendicitis. She then said, "Isn't it wonderful when we have those kinds of people in our lives! When we can call on them and we know they will come and help."
Sister Joy then asked, "What kinds of Christlike attributes do you see in these stories of Brother Stringham?" Perhaps charity, love, or service?
The Guide to the Scriptures defines charity as "the highest, novelist, strongest kind of love." It is the pure love of Jesus Christ. As we learn of Jesus Christ and strive to become like Him, we will begin to feel His pure love in our lives and be prompted to love and serve others as He would. "Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down," said President Thomas S. Monson. "It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others."
Sister Joy then asked if anyone else had other examples of this type of ministering.
Sister Ellis commented that yesterday they were pulling a trailer to go camping up at their property. She said that as they were going down the highway, there was a box of newly picked corn that had fallen off a truck. She said that they pulled off and her husband began helping the young man that had been driving the truck get the corn off the highway and pick up the huge box it had been in. All the while, the young man kept saying how his father was going to be so mad, but that her husband got him calmed down and they got it taken care of. Her husband is an example to her.
Sister Stringham commented that as she has listened to the stories of these people that have been given it made her think; when you do these types of service, you are showing more than one attribute of Christ. She then said, "It seems like when you use one attribute, then you seem to have more of them. They build on one another."
Sister Annalee said that her mother reminds her of this kind of person. She told of how her mother has been dealing with poor health for the last year. She said that when her mother does something like her ironing, it makes her so tired that she has to rest for a couple of hours after wards. She is having to rest more and more often. But while her mother is not able to be up and about, she often is thinking of others. Annalee told of how her mom will say, "Oh so and so needs words of encouragement. Or I heard that this person would like this book, or I think so and so needs a lift today." So she will write notes, send books or flowers. Her mother is always asking herself, "who can I serve today?" Even though her mother is ill, she is literally thinking of others and not of herself.
Victoria Scott commented on how her grandmother, though wheelchair bound is always thinking of her family and others. She told of a time when her grandmother had fixed a family dinner and just as she was serving it, she spilled hot gravy all over herself. She wouldn't hear of them taking her to the doctor until the meal was over. She had wanted everyone to enjoy themselves. Victoria said she (her grandmother) is like that, she is always thinking of others.
Sister Clark talked about a man that she works with who only has one arm. She said he is always working hard and helping others. She said that one time she commented to him that she thought he was so blessed. The man agreed with her. He said that he had been blessed to be able to provide and was able to work hard even though he only had one arm. He told her that the Lord had blessed him in many ways.
Sister Joy paralleled this to the attributes of patience and long-suffering. She said, "In our premarital life, our Heavenly Father prepared a plan for us - His spirit children - and we shouted for joy at the opportunity to come to earth. (Job 38:7) As we choose to align our will with His during our earthly life. He "will make an instrument of [us] in [His] hands unto the salvation of many souls."
(Alma 17:11)
The scriptures tell us that in our earthly life, we should "be patient in afflictions, for [we shall] have many." God then gives us this comforting promise. "Endure them, for lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days." (D&C 24:8)
Sister Johnson said that as we have been discussing this, she thought of how Christ was always serving the sinners and the publicans. She said, "Christ was so willing and able to love those that weren't like him." She said that she knows that we are supposed to serve those that are poor or needy, but that sometimes because they are so different from how she lives that it makes her nervous to reach out. Then she commented that instead of being judgmental, she is going to try to reach out more and think about what they are going through. She is going to try to think of what it would be like to be in their shoes.
Sister Joy then commented on how there are so many examples of Christlike attributes in these stories. How we are here to learn and become better, to develop these Christlike attributes.
She told how as she was preparing this discussion for today, Sister Rogers stopped by her home. Sister Rogers said, "I don't know why, but I was prompted that I needed to bring this by to you today." Then Sister Joy read what Sister Rogers had brought to her and she wanted to use it to end her discussion today. It is as follows:
She wept as she knelt beside her bed.
"Father, please hear my prayer," she said.
"I need a friend, I feel so alone,"
Her prayer was soon ended by the sound of the phone.
"Hello, I hope I'm not bothering you at all,
but I suddenly felt that I needed to call."
The loneliness soon faded away,
as a bond of sisterhood was strengthened that day.
A heart cried out, a prayer was heard,
because angels heeded a call to serve.
One sister sat at her desk with a pen,
working on lessons for church again.
Week after week, she faithfully prepared,
but she wondered, dies anyone really care?
I'm doing my best, to answer my call,
but am I making any difference at all?
What joy she found in the mail that day!
When a note of gratitude came her way.
Just wanted you to know we appreciate
your wonderful lessons, they are go great.
That simple note was such a gift,
She really needed that little lift!
She was blessed by an angel, who had taken the time
to write a note so sweet and kind.
Another was feeling completely run down,
she felt overwhelmed, as she looked around,
at the dishes and laundry and dinner still to make.
And knew this was the day she'd finally break.
Then a knock at the door, a friend stopping by.
"I was thinking of you, thought I'd come and say Hi."
The tears welled up, a friend jumped in,
she washed all the dishes and got some laundry put in.
She helped make the dinner, gave a hug, then went on her way.
Another angel was on errand that day.
So many lives, so many needs.
So many angels, who do thoughtful deeds.
When promptings come, let us never fail,
to heed them quickly, for we can never tell,
when our errands as angels will be a part,
of an answer to prayer in a sister's heart!
~Laurie Dukes
Sister Joy ended with her testimony that when we serve and try to emulate the attributes of Christ, we will be the ones who's lives are blessed.
Thank you Sister Joy for your beautiful discussion!
