Stolen Quote #41

A kid quote gem from Tank, who is 5.

Tank:  How do fish get allergies?
Me:  I don't think they do.
(pause.  Tank is thinking.)
Tank:  Then how did allergies get in the tank?
Me (perplexed):  They didn't.
Tank:  You said that allergies were growing in the tank.
Me (as light finally arrives in my brain):  Oh!  Algae!  There's ALGAE in the tank.

I dare you not to giggle, thinking about fish getting allergies.

Stolen Quote #40

From The Story of Stuff comes this great quote:

"Our enormously productive economy...demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption.... We need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate."

- Victor Lebow

P.S.  The Story of Stuff debuted years ago, and now they have sequels, like The Story of Bottled Water, and The Story of Cosmetics.  Fascinating anti-consumerism stories.  (Those communists!)

It's Good to Have Supporters

I've reached yet another point in my interpreting journey.  I'm good enough to understand how lousy I really am, and I'm wondering if I'll ever be non-lousy.

This isn't really a point, though, is it?  It's not a point, a spot, a location.  It's a cycle.  But this time, as I've reached this point, I have a real sense that I may not ever be as good as I want to be.  I'm not fully sure what determines that.  It can't all be hard work. 

And it's times like this when I come home and flop on the couch and stare at the wall and say, "That's it.  I'm just going to quit right now."  And I'm so grateful for other people who know I can do it, so that when I forget, they can say, "You've got this."  I can repeat those words to myself until I've found my confidence again.

A huge thank you to Rob and all my other supporters.  You guys are lovely.

Love and Service, part 2

Part 2 – The How

We know we need to serve.  And we know why:  Love!

For the HOW, we’ll go back to 3 Nephi 17.  After the people were healed, he called another group to Him, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he did so.

3 Nephi 17:11 – 12  And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought.
So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him.

This isn’t the first account of Christ bringing children unto Him.

Matthew 18:1
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

I imagine that the disciples had grandiose ideas about who the greatest would be.  A great, famous, important person, perhaps.  Or someone deeply pious and showy about it.  I don’t know.  But I bet that Jesus’s response is not what they expected:

Matthew 18:2 – 5:  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

“Who is the greatest?”  they asked.  Jesus told them to become as little children.

Back to 3 Nephi 17.  Christ says a beautiful prayer.  With the children gathered at his feet.  A prayer that is so beautiful that (verse 16 & 17) “the eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;
And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.”  The people were overcome with joy.

And then he brings the children to Him, one by one, and blesses them. 

Verse 21 – 23:  And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.
And when he had done this he wept again;
And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.

And then something else amazing happens.

Verse 24 – 25:  And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.
And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousands and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children.

It’s so incredible that the author emphasizes that it really, truly happened.  It’s like he’s saying, “If you don’t believe it, too bad!  It happened.”

BEHOLD YOUR LITTLE ONES.

We are to become as children.  They are an everyday example to us.  They have many lovely qualities, but one that I love is shown through their artwork.  [I then showed several of my kids' art pieces to the class.]

Children GIVE.
They give a lot.  I have so much artwork I don't know what to do with it all.
They don’t think about what’s in it for them.
They don’t even think it’s a big deal.
They don’t worry too much if it’s not perfect – they give it out of love and they give it with pride because they know it’s the best they could give.  Or because they know we’ll love it anyway.

And as parents, as recipients of this giving, we DO love it.
We don’t pick apart errors.
We don’t wonder why they didn’t do a better job.
We love it.
We are grateful for it.

Children are great at giving simple service.  Here’s an example.

My uncle Rick was in a devastating motorcycle accident earlier this year.  We thought he might not make it through.  He spent months in the hospital.  Then he came home.  He lives 2 houses away from me.  How many times did I go visit him?  Take a guess.  Remember that he’s a cherished person to me.  I thought I might lose him.  How many times?  Twice.  I went twice.  I had thoughts like this:  “He’s probably fine.”  “He’s getting the care he needs.”  “I’m busy.”  “I don’t know the right things to say.”

In contrast, how many times did my 7-year-old son Elijah visit him?  Nearly every day.  Every day for 2 months Elijah went over to check on Rick and see how he was doing.  I guarantee that Elijah didn’t know the right things to say.  But he went.

In some significant ways, we are all like children.  Our service is like their artwork: it’s not perfect.  But it can be heartfelt and significant.  And likewise, Heavenly Father will love us for the service we give.  He will be grateful that we did it.

So find some small way to give service.  All of us can do that.  Don't worry if it's perfect.  Don't worry if it's important enough.  Just do something.  Find a way to bring a smile to someone.   

That’s what we’re here on earth to do.