A Glimpse of Charity - The Pure Love of Christ

As I sat with a good sister left ever so weak by the ill effects of the cancer, that is consuming her, I felt her strength.  Not just in the surprising grip of her frail little hand but her faith unwavering.

I found myself overcome by the spirit and pleading within my heart to release her from the pain and discomfort.  I felt compassion for this woman who has never lost faith in the Savior and his Priesthood power to bless the lives of men on earth.  In the moment I was asking for her comfort I felt impressed and reminded that the Savior suffered these pains as well.  And by so doing he knows each of us individually, as well as anyone possibly could.

for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

Today we did something in our Elder's Quorum that I conceived a month or two ago.  Rewind to January and our quorum made some goals to get out and visit less/inactive families/individuals.  The goals are to go from the 30% home teaching that we had in December of  2010 (on par with the Stake Average) to 40% in March, 50% in June, 60% in September, and finally 70% by December of 2011.  When I became Elder's Quorum President we were at 13% so we've already doubled that and I believe we will make our goal of 40% this month if not better than that.

What I had conceived was Home Teaching Blitzes or Because We Care Blitzes.  Perhaps it was the NFL Playoffs or the Super Bowl that gave me the idea to somehow incorporate the idea of rushing the quarter back mentality when going out in force to visit families that had not been visited in a long time.  So at 9 am this morning I and 11 other Brethren met at the church, knelt in prayer, then divided a long list of names and went out visiting.

Our focus on this first blitz was to contact brethren that were already Elders or prospective Elders within our ward.  The first success was the overwhelming participation from the quorum.  We had one High Priest, one Priest (my companion Josh Sponenburg) a recently reactive member and recipient of the Aaronic Priesthood himeself, and even one brother who was baptized a few months ago but has yet to receive the priesthood.  All the others were Elders.

The second success came in discovering that one third of those on our list had moved.  The next task will be to determine if they've moved to another location within our ward boundaries or if we need to send their names to Salt Lake to have that team try and find them.

The third success was that of the remaining two thirds half of them welcomed the idea of visits from the Missionaries and Home Teachers and this doesn't mean that the other third was not receptive because some of them simply weren't home.

The greatest success in my mind though was that the brethren that participated realized that they had made a difference.  That they had blessed lives, including their own, by the service they had performed.

Luke 15

11¶And he said, A certain man had two sons:

 12And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of ^agoods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

 13And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there ^awasted his ^bsubstance with ^criotous living.

 14And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

 15And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

 16And he ^awould fain have filled his belly with the ^bhusks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

 17And when he ^acame to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

 18I will ^aarise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have ^bsinned against heaven, and before thee,

 19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

 20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had ^acompassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

 21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more ^aworthy to be called thy ^bson.

 22But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

 23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

 25Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

 26And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

 27And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

 28And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

 29And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

 30But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

 31And he said unto him, ^aSon, thou art ever with me, and ^ball that I have is thine.

 32It was ^ameet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

Great Faith

I received a call late yesterday afternoon from a sister in our ward who is fighting cancer.  She first asked if she had home teachers since she was fairly new to the ward.  She did indeed have them and I was saddened to discover they had made no attempt to contact her.  In the absence of dedicated Home Teachers I of course take the call and make the visit.  I love to visit the members and would home teach each and everyone of them if I were able BUT of course there is not enough time and that is why we have a quorum.

I called a nearby priesthood holder and asked them to accompany me to her home to administer.  We found her frail and weak yet full of faith and hopeful of a good outcome.

Despite how aggressive the cancer has been and the ravaging effects that it has had on her body, she has faith in the power of the priesthood.  Her husband shared the promises of previous blessings she had received which of course gave her hope of a cure.

I did not feel the impression that she would be healed but more a feeling of comfort which was conveyed through the blessing.  I know that it is the faith of the one receiving the blessing that is most important.  "Thy Faith Hath Made Thee Whole"  I certainly have faith but I know that it is something that I can and should continue to strengthen.

This good sister is an example of great faith.

A Good Man

I was informed at lunchtime today that a good man that I've know for the past 3 years passed away.  Al Granato passed at about 11:30 PM last night.  I had been to visit him at the hospital on January 31, one week ago today, after finishing a day of Jury Duty.  He was in a an induced coma because most of his organs had failed or were failing.

I was alone and did not feel impressed to give him a Priesthood blessing but rather speak to him for a few minutes and ultimately offer a pray with/for him on his behalf.  I touched his had and expressed to him that he was a good man and was on my way.

On the Sunday evening previous I had gotten a call from his wife Kathy, who incidentally is also now in a coma at another hospital.  She had expressed to me how much she wanted for Al to have a Priesthood blessing and her concern that something might happen to him.  Arrangements were made and a blessing was administered.  She had also expressed concern for Rachel her daughter in the event that something should happen to both of them.  Call it premonition but Rachel is indeed on her own at the moment so we are hopeful for Kathy's recovery now.

Al had just recently started returning to church after years and years of inactivity.  Rachel is quite active now and although Kathy was not attending with the same regularity she too had been coming out after years of inactivity.

Al was anxious to serve his fellow man and to help where he could.  He had been going out with the missionaries when able and had even accepted a Home Teaching assignment to his neighbors in recent months.  I know that his weight and health made it difficult to do much but I know that his heart was in it and I feel like I missed knowing so much more to who he was because of his death.  Al and I are about the same age, in fact I think I'm actually a couple years older than he was which is to say He was a very young man at his passing.

I know that Al and Kathy, although not living all of the gospel principles of late had been to the temple to be sealed.  I know that our Heavenly Father will bless them for the works and I admire Al for his Charity.

I was at his home with the missionaries just a couple of weeks ago where he fed us quite a feast and we spoke of Charity after which we visited Kevin Algood.

Al will be missed.

The Still Small Voice

I can't tell you how many times I've had the impression to turn this way or that and I've followed it only to never really know why it was that I had the impression.  I believe that in some of those cases we're being diverted from danger or misfortune and the fact that we followed the prompting prevents us from encountering said problem.  I also believe that there are probably times when it doesn't matter if we turn right or left but our Father in Heaven is teaching us, testing us, preparing us to always be listening so that we are in tune and more readily recognize that still small voice so that when something really important comes along we are ready for it.

Last night I took the missionaries out to teach a couple of lessons.  The first was with a less active family and the second was for a new investigator, a single woman, and the missionaries must have a priesthood holder with them in order to teach in that home.

The first family fed us and we read from Moroni chapter 7 on Charity and discussed it's importance.  The second appointment a few doors down canceled on us at the door.  The Elders not to be deterred suggested we visit some nearby less active members.  I felt impressed to visit someone not quite as close but someone equally important.

Upon arrival at the home we discovered the young man in humbling circumstances and receptive to our visit.  I believe the visit was inspired and something much needed by this young man.  I really do love it when we can see our Heavenly Father at work.  When we can truly be instruments in his hands to bless the lives of those in need.  To bless and be blessed by or brothers and sisters in the family of God.