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Visiting Teaching |
© 1993 Laurie AshtonI'm supposed to be giving some kind of inspiring talk on visiting teaching today, and, well, I don't know why they asked me. It's not like I enjoy visiting teaching or anything. I mean, everyone in this ward seems so together, you know, that it seems kind of useless. Like, what can I possibly contribute to anyone's life? It's not like I can offer anything to anyone, I'm not that great at it anyway. My companion is wonderful. She always gives such wonderful lessons, and she always brings something along to give to the sisters we teach, what does she need me for? I feel like a lump on a log. And can you believe it, I even visit teach the Relief Society President and it's not like she even needs to be visit taught. What can I possibly teach her that she doesn't already know? I mean, really!!!! I think most of us think this way at least some of the time. Sometimes we may think that the sisters we visit teach don't need any help, maybe we see their lives as completely stable, positive, and fulfilling. Maybe we don't think we have anything to offer. Maybe we think that there is no way in the world we could possibly affect another human being because, after all, I am only one person, what kind of an effect can I possibly have? I disagree very strongly with that attitude. Significant events in my own life and of those around me have proven otherwise. While I am not concentrating specifically on visiting teaching, I will be focusing on the difference one person can make, whether you visit teach or home teach someone, whether that person is a friend or acquaintance, or whatever. What I'm going to share with you will demonstrate that we are all powerful enough to have a positive effect on other people, and it can be enough to make a dramatic difference in that person's life, whether we can see that difference or not. I'm going to tell you a story about a girl, about 19 or 20, who came from difficult circumstances. She didn't trust anyone nor did she know how to love or be loved. She had been mistreated over the years and had, instead, learned to build a fortress around her heart. She had a lot of rough edges and exhibited a persona of someone who was self-assured, happy, energetic, bubbly, fun loving. In fact, she thought she was worth less than a blood sucker. She was miserable, depressed, and felt that she was unloveable. Her existence was very dark. There was a boy who was a friend of friends of hers. They lived fairly close to each other, and he had a car, so he would drive her to church, the activities, stuff like that. One day, as he was driving her home, he asked her what was wrong. She said “nothing.” He said, "you're lying. Tell me what's wrong. I'm not driving you home until you do." So he drove past the turnoff to her house, kept on driving, and parked in the Superstore parking lot. He argued with her for half an hour or so, until she finally gave up and started to tell him a little bit of her story. Over the next half year or so, this young man became very stubborn in proving to her that she was loveable. He was relentless. He proved to her that she could trust him, that she could trust someone. She finally did believe him that she was loveable. She finally started believing in a God who loved her as he loved his other children. For her, this was major progress. Her life was no longer as black as it had been. This young man was not a therapist or any kind of expert in dealing with emotionally dysfunctional people. So, how was he able to have a positive effect? Because he listened to the Spirit and he didn't give up. He had enough faith that things could work out for good as long as he did his part. He was only one person, yet he had a tremendously positive effect on this girl. This young lady later went to university and started to attend the University ward. She was given a visiting teaching companion whom she had never met. They met, they went visiting teaching together, and they soon became good friends. Her companion, by example, taught her what unconditional love was. Her companion loved her and accepted her for who she was, with no conditions set on their friendships. This companion felt the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and acted upon it. She listened and cared for this girl. While this may not seem like much because the visiting teaching companion did not do anything dramatic, her actions have left a permanent imprint on this girls heart. This was her first recognizeable example of unconditional love. There was a visiting teacher who visited her girls every month without fail. She got to know them, became friends with them, and cared, really cared about them. One day at church, she noticed that one of her girls was a bit depressed. After church, she came over to that girls apartment with a bouquet of balloons and a note saying something along the lines of "hang in there". This simple act of love filled the girls heart and uplifted her. Yes, I am only one person. I am not perfect. But I am a child of God. And as a child of God, I have certain gifts bestowed upon me. If I am righteous, if I really am earnest in doing good and kind things to others, then our Heavenly Father will let me know what I can do. In Moroni 7:45, we read:
Because of the unique set of circumstances in which I have grown up, because of my own individual experiences, I can be affected by and can affect other people's lives. The people whom I can touch for good will be different from the people you can touch for good. Each of us, because of our different characters and our different sets of experiences, understands things in different ways. Now it is time for us to use our unique way of understanding to help those around us. It is up to all of us to show our love in our own ways. Mathew 25:34-46 reads as follows:
In Gospel Doctrine, Pg.254, we read that “Charity, or love, is the greatest principle in existence.” If we can lend a helping hand to the oppressed, if we can aid those who are despondent and in sorrow, if we can uplift and ameliorate the condition of mankind, it is our mission to do it, it is an essential part of our religion to do it. |
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2005-07-06 8:21
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