Hands (by Jewel)
The past few weeks/months of my life have been, let's say, challenging. The have involved a serious illness in both me and my husband, being forgotten or criticized by those who I thought were my friends, some personal financial challenges, some extended family relationship challenges, and the sudden death of a friend's husband - you get the picture. Not the most calm and peaceful time of my life.
These challenges, and the circumstances that surround them, have brought home to me the importance of being kind, considerate and thoughtful of others; of loving and caring about others and what is going on in their lifes; and of being willing to serve and help one another during times of need while we are on this journey called life. All to often we get so caught up in the business of our lives and what we think is so important, that we fail to see the needs of others that might be right in front of our faces. We neglect the small, simple acts of kindness that come to mean so much to someone in their time of need.
For example, a few years ago I was in a position of authority that I think made me more mindful of and sensitive to the needs of those individuals around me. One day, while I was going about my activites, I noticed one woman who looked a little sad and the thought came to me that there was something wrong. The timing wasn't right for me to talk to her at that time, so I decided later to give her a call and inquire as to how she was doing. We talked for a few minutes, she assured me that everything was "fine" (how many of us just say that so automatically - whether it's true or not). So, I went about doing my routine. A few days later I received a "thank you" note in the mail. In this note the individual whom I had telephoned told me that at the time that I called her she was contemplating her individual worth to God and to her family. She told me that because of that phone call she felt that it was God's way of telling her that she had worth and that she was loved. She felt that God knew who she was, what challenges she was dealing with and that someone really did care about her. Wow, I had know idea that a simple telephone call could make such a difference!
This individual is the woman who's husband died suddenly. I hope that by some chance she remembered that phone call, as well as other conversations that we have had over the years, and that they had made her feel loved enough that she felt able to trust me enough to call me during her time of crisis. It was a difficult thing to experience with her, but I am so honored that she felt comfortable enough with me, and trusted me enough, to dial my phone number and ask for my help. For me, that was the greatest compliment she could have ever given me.
Since this time of crisis there have been individuals who have questioned as to why this woman called me instead of them. I wondered about it myself for a while, but I have always tried to be loving and kind to this woman. I have known about many of the challenges she has had over her lifetime, and I have tried not to be judgmental but rather have compassion and empathy for her and her situation - to simply love her. I think we have established a relationship of love and trust, and I hope that it can continue as she struggles to come to grips with life as a young widow/single parent.
Every day I am faced with a choice. I can choose to be kind, loving, compassionate and helpful; or I can can choose to be angry, bitter and resentful of the behavior of those around me. I cannot choose how others will act toward me, but I can choose how I will act and react toward others. I choose love, "sweet love". "It's the only thing that there's just too little of".
"God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom." (President Spencer W. Kimball, "Small Acts of Service", Ensign, Dec. 1974).
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