I’ve been thinking about President Nelson’s invitation to sisters in the church to ponder and discover their spiritual gifts and strengths. In a world where Satan is a well operating machine that freely dispenses self deprecating thoughts, it can be challenging to recognize our gifts among mortal flaws and shortcomings. Not all of us are skilled musicians, patient hand holders, social interaction experts, or enthusiastic “try something new” tacklers. In fact, many of us are living out our day to day routines, just trying to be our best selves, or barely keeping our heads above water ministering to our families.
I’ve been “wowed” lately at how just being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and being a mother of a large family have prepared me and given me necessary skills to serve my community.
I stopped by The Call office in Springdale last week to meet up with a foster mom friend and discuss doing some respite for them. When I walked in we were met with this room of donations that flowed out into the hall, and down the hall, and toward the door.
The two workers had been trying to sort it for hours, but didn’t know what to do with the sheer volume of stuff, where to begin, where to put things, etc.
I asked if they needed help and was met with a resounding desperate, PLEASE!
This is where my inner Monica Gellar shines, people! I’ve trained my whole life for this very moment! Haha!
I rolled up my sleeves and tore into that room like a bunch of teenagers who’s just been handed a box of donuts after church on a fast Sunday. Sloane played delightfully with a basket of toys in the corner. This was also a small miracle, as she tends to be particularly needy on the days it’s just the two of us. Recently, she has been self entertaining, and I’ve had much more available time to help others. This day at the Call office was a perfect opportunity to put my individual skills to use.
What skills?
Well it turns out that mothering a large family has provided me with the very specific ability to sort HUGE amounts of clothing by size, gender, item, and season, very very quickly. This was basically a laundry rodeo, and I won. As I opened bag after bag and organized everything, I kept thinking “I was totally put in the right place at the right time. God knew that I could not only do this task, but do it quickly and effectively, and enjoy doing it.
This was not overwhelming for me in the least. Growing up as a member of the church, I was trained in the art of packing and moving when my parents took me with them to the families they ministered to. I’ve helped sort through many a retired windows apartments. (I’ll never forget the time Glen Mellander and I found Sister Hess’s false teeth in the back of her freezer!)
Anyway, my life has given me many opportunities rooms filled to the brim with bags of stuff don’t stress me out at all. And call me Monica, but it felt so good to rip into that room of bags and put everything in a place.
The next day, I went on a ministering visit with my companion Lani, who told me her guest room was filled to the brim with bags of clothes and shoes. I took the triplets with me to her house and spent an hour with Lani and 4 other fun ladies from church sorting clothing by item into piles. And I came home with a bag of new to us items for my big girls and I. Yahoo!
Going through a room stuffed with bags went so quickly because these women also all had sorting skills and “lets get this done” energy!
I blog about this because I want my children to know that they have skills they don’t even know about! Everything we are given is a gift that can be used to bless others.
So the cumulative hours I’ve spent doing masses of laundry? Blessing to my family at the time, and refining my skill for future opportunities to bless and serve others. Even laundry can be done as an offering to the Lord. Children, take a look at your day and consider what skills you never knew you had! Did you practice being a listener? A hard worker? That toilet you made sparkle or bed you made is no big deal to you, but your diligence, obedience, desire to do good, or just get a job done is a skill that you will be able to help others with some day. Maybe you will make a toilet sparkle for a pregnant spouse or friend some day, so they can throw up in a clean bowl. Maybe you will change sheets and make the bed of your elderly mother. Or put fresh sheets on the bed in the guest too again for another foster placement. That is a gift you can give that you wouldn’t be able to do if you didn’t have the skill. Your gifts are how the Lord can use you do his work, but you must recognize what gufts you have, and then show up with a will to act.
Three cheers for life skills and awareness to serve. I have been greatly blessed by many people who have cleaned out and organized their own closets and donated unused items. Soccer cleats from the Chandler boys, dresses from the Thompson Twins, proprioceptive input therapy items from Hiligrass, Castillo, and Glover families. It was so good to be able to pay it forward with some quick service with a unique knack for closet organization in a couple places this week.
I hope this musings of mine emboldens another to “go and do something, today.”
Or rather, it’s not MY words that embolden, but remind a reader that he or she has already been prepared to be whomever he or she must be today for the work to carry forward.
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