In our east coast adventures, I’ve been focusing of Knowledge. I think Monday night for family home evening I’ll be able to wrap up numbers four and six.
Knowledge experience #6 had me secretly giggling. I’m high in the air—going over and over two of my favorite hymns trying to memorize them correctly. More Holiness Give me, and I Know that My Redeemer Lives. I love More Holiness Give Me, because it places my weaknesses face forward for me to look upon and think about. I Know that My Redeemer Lives is a given.
Then, once I thought I had the words down, (the i pad is awesome for that) I went over the melody and listening to the rhythm in my head, figured that the meter for more holiness Give me is ¾ but I think it could be 6/8. It will be fun to see if I’m right once home. I think I know that my redeemer lives is 4/4, that one feels a tad trickier as its sung slower. Again, it will be fun to see.
When I lived in Hawaii as a youth, I had a really neat opportunity. During Sunday school, a selected number of us teens got to enter an alternate Sunday School class for a few weeks. We learned to lead music. It was the coolest thing in the world to me and I LOVED learning to conduct. That little class gave me a skill to have always, and I remember after they sang Aloha Oe to us in our moving, that teacher presented me with a gift. An expandable conducting wand. She said she could tell how much I enjoyed her class and told me not to be afraid and to take advantage of every opportunity to conduct music so I’d grow in it..
I’m still not all that great at it, but since those early years I have had opportunities from time to time to practice, though my hand shakes at times, questioning if anyone can tell I’m off or not ending right, if my hand is stiff and too close to my body or more like an over enthusiastic flying out of control spring.
Here on the plane I was listening to the music in my head, and yes, conducting those hymns. Due to storms two days ago, our flight was more than messed up so we were stranded without luggage in Dallas for two days. The good side of that is we’re in cushy chairs eating breakfast with real silverware, fancy mini goblets, hot towels and people asking, “Can I get you anything else to drink? Who knows who else is sitting in first class, as I quietly try to figure out the time meter for these hymns conducting, I like thinking someone seeing my quiet progress is thinking, “oooh, I wonder who that is? A symphony conductor?” If they only knew I hear not just music, but voices inside my head as well (characters) they might instead think I’m a bit crazy. And here’s the fun part, I am. I like having fun and am not afraid to step outside the box.
For number four, Select a gospel principle you would like to understand better, I’ve chosen Charity. I chose Charity because Charity is different that mere love. It is pure love, in fact, it is having the pure love of Christ. I want to understand deeper that meaning. I think that though I have been reading talks about charity from latter-day leaders, and scriptures listed from the Topical Guide under charity, that really the only way to truly understand charity is to act upon it.
While no longer there, I am still on my Tigard Ward contact list. It’s neat that I can be still close to these wonderful friends. One sister in her business met a homeless couple. This couple was left destitute and came in to the sister. She learned of their very real needs. She jumped on our Tigard Gots and Wants email and let everyone know serious help was needed. A kind bishop offered them needed plane tickets back to the east coast near their family in trade for hours worked at the bishops storehouse or Deseret Industries. Upon completing the hours the tickets would be delivered. Sisters and brothers examined what they might give for clothes and shoes. Food was delivered for them and for their dog. That’s charity. I love that when a need is listed everyone comes forward, for members and friends of the church alike. It has been the same way in my new ward. A need is heard and people rise to the call. Such opportunities come, and they come again and again.
Stranded in Dallas friends asked me, “ is there anything I can do to help you with anything here at home?” Dan’s best friend from boyhood, my adopted son, stayed and watched our home, and pets. Another friend helped with Jenn’s chickens. I came home to loveliness and messages from caring friends. And I’m excited to be home and now do my part for another. What is charity? It is seeing someone as the Lord sees them, without judgment or denial. Charity is service to fellowmen with genuine love, without a feeling of self sacrifice or self righteousness. Charity is keeping the commandment of the Lord, “As I have loved you, love ye one another.”
Truly acquiring charity requires that we leave the natural man, those human tendencies of quick judgments, begrudging, and selfishness behind. It’s true that first impressions count, but it is also true that they are ours to make and the messages to our minds regarding others are at our discretion; As is the attitude in which we serve.
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