Charity

Sometimes I feel like as ward memebers we feel obligated to serve members of the ward, or do something nice for someone we visit teach... but we forget to do nice things just because we're Christain, or just because they're our friend.

I in some ways felt this way after having Nathan.... I had spent almost 3 years in a ward and I thought I had many Friends in that ward, yet the day I had my son, after spending a week homeless and looking forward to being homeless again, I was asked by my previous Relief Society Presidency if where I was moving was still in the ward boundaries.. It stung, I will admit, I was saddened by even the idea that the only reason my friends were willing to help me before was because of my location. The Relief Society President has always been a sweetheart and continued to be, calling me, driving out to see me, and bringing me things I needed, but where were all the people I had come to call me friends?? I was saddened and felt alone. After a couple meals from my sister in law and a meal from the wonderful Relief Society President from my old ward, my husband and I ate nothing, or toast and jam for over a month. I would rather not think about how much weight my husband lost, and for myself, I had just hemmorhaged and could barely carry my son, and couldn't at all in his car seat, and yet there we were, trying to make it work and living off of nothing.

The ward boundaries we now *kind of* lived in knew about us from the very beginning, but we finally got a visit after about a month. After that first initial visit from the RS Presidency, many families came over and visited us and brought garden produce and other things. What a blessing, and finally we weren't just eating ramen noodles, macaroni and toast! My poor husband, I don't know how he managed living that way for so long!

So I guess my point is, Love people, they are God's children, and don't forget to love them just because of that reason alone! We all have a responsibility to care for one another as children of God, not just because they are our neighbor and we have to see them every day and be ashamed if we don't! You never know what someone is going through, and it's times like these that remind us of that! I just hope that I can be a better Christain because of what I have gone through. Remember that we are all Chidren, Sons and Daughters of God and what a great time to practice this with this next week being Thanksgiving and Christmas so soon as well!! Make it your new years resolution and start now! I know I am trying, and will continue to do my best with the resources that I have.

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! Good luck and remember to LOVE!