“…freely ye have received, freely give.” - Matthew 10:8
This scripture hit me as I watched a bible
video on Christ this week. It spoke
about when Christ was calling his apostles, and told them to help others, to
heal the sick, cleanse the leapers, raise the dead, and cast out devils. They were to go without anything on their backs,
but the desire to freely help others
This hit me as I have been thinking about service lately,
and how I personally can be of help to others.
I might not have need to raise the dead, or cleanse the leapers, but what
can I do to freely give?
The best way I think is brain storming things I can do in my
own home first. Such as, I can help when
my husband or children are sick. I can
also do what I can to try to keep the evil spirits from influencing myself, and
hopefully those in my home. I can be
there for my children when they get home from school, to discuss their day and
how they are doing. I can be there
during their hard times, and during the good times. I can try to keep a house of order, of safety
and a refuge from the storms of life.
Next was things I could do in the home, but for others. This took some more thought, but I did think
of one thing. I can freely seek out my
ancestors and family history. I can also
be of service by helping to index names from old historical records, so that
others may find their family names and do their own family history research.
This leads into what I can do outside the home. The first thing is take these names I found
of my ancestors, and take them to the temple to do baptisms, and seal them
together as a family forever and not just for this life. I can also listen to the whispering of the spirit. It will guide me to those who may need my
help in some way. Also my visiting
teaching, is a way to become friends with, and be of service to those who may need
me.
These things I can give, I am sure there many more, but
these are the things that came to me specifically.
But then I was thinking some more, and noticed the scripture
read “freely ye have received….,”, which also made me stop and think about all
I have to be grateful for, what I’ve freely received from the Lord, what he has
blessed me with.
One of my greatest earthly blessing in my husband and
children. They have been very supportive
and understanding, they have been with me during the hard times, and the good
times, they have celebrated my successes with me, and are understanding of my
failures.
I’m grateful for the gospel and how it has helped me to get
through this life, it hasn’t been easy, and I’ve wanted to give up, but the
Lord has always listened to my prayers, and shown me that he loves me, and
others love me too. He has blessed me
with the atonement, the ability to forgive, to hand over our struggles, and to
be cleaned every wit.
I’m grateful for the blessing of my home, in an amazing
small town. I maybe far from some family
that is extremely important to me, but I am able to send my kids to school with
the same friends they go to church with, and almost all of our neighbours are members
of the same church we attend. I know the
teachers of my children also have high standards, and will watch out for my children’s
best physical and spiritual interests.
The blessings of a working husband, who does his best to
provide for us the best he can, I am also grateful for. He works hard to make sure we are fed and
have shoes and clothes, sometimes it’s a struggle, but the Lord always seems to
provide for us when we are lacking in some area that my husband is not able
to. I’m grateful that he loves his job
and likes to go to work daily. I’m also grateful
he travels home safely each night.
From my pondering this week, I might not have come up with
great theological debates or deep symbolism, but I did apply a small scripture,
that could have passed me quickly and been dismissed, and applied it to my
everyday life. This week I’ve learned I have been given so much, and freely I
must also give.
