Kylee & Russell: July 2024

This month Brooks injured his toe at a neighbors house (rammed it into a tramp spring), got pink eye, cut his hair (he wanted a mullet, which I did not want, and we settled on a Mohawk), continues to not like fireworks, and is obsessed with LeBron James. The last picture is him raising his hands like, "Did you just see the dunk that LeBron had?" He has such a sweet personality but loves to test his limits with making wrong choices. He will often ask if he can do something and when I say no he says, "Well, I'm going to do it anyways." Little terd. His seems to know just how to ruffle Hallie and Stockton's feathers with ease. New things cause quite a bit of anxiety for him but once he does something a few times he seems to loosen up a bit. He is still doing reading tutoring and is doing so great with it. He wants to badly to be tall and strong and talks about it often. He sleeps in his boxer briefs like a teenager would. He loves wearing his basketball jerseys and you will only find him wearing gym shorts or sweats. I sure love you Brooksie!

Serving with Faith in Christ
July 14, 2024

Good morning everybody. I was asked to speak on the topic Serving with Faith in Christ. When I first got this topic, my mind went to the parable of the Good Samaritan. Just to refresh your memory, it is a widely popular story of a man who was robbed, stripped of his clothing, beaten and left for dead by the side of the road to Jericho. A priest and a Levite each passed by without offering help. Finally a man from Samaria stopped to help him. This parable is just so great because it has so many good little nuggets in it that everytime you read it you can discover something else. Anyway, today, in regards to the topic of service, I hope to highlight just 3 lessons that I found powerful in this allegory:

1. Look Outwards. In Luke 10:30-32 we read, "... A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side."

The words that are so interesting to me in those verses are that the religious men "looked on him." They clearly saw him and saw that he was half dead so if someone wasn't going to help him he'd probably die but instead of helping they looked on him and crossed the path on the otherside and walked by.

I'm sure the men felt justified passing by. They were probably on their way to do something important for the church or in the temple. And if they would have come in contact with a bloody man they would have had to go through this whole cleaning process, so that sounds time consuming. And the situation was probably uncomfortable, I mean the guy didn't have any clothes on, so that's awkward. And they were traveling on a dangerous path and probably thought, "Gosh. I don't know what happened here but I defintely don't want it to happen to me" so they just kept walking by.

And I thought to myself, do I sometimes do that? I'm sure I walk by someone in need of help everyday. Sure they aren't bloodied and beaten up in this regard but in their own way they are bruised and wounded. Is the problem that we don't even see them in the first place or do we "look on someone" and we are like "Oh. That's really sad" but I have a million other things I need to do right now?

If we aren't careful we can easily get caught up living only for ourselves. The natural response as humans is to turn inward. It's probably a survival thing. I am guilty of this. I am so focused on my own world. Like what is going on under my own roof is so all-consuming and overwhelming that I just don't have a lot to give band-width wise. I'm not suggesting that focusing on the 4 walls of our homes is bad at all but are there little ways we can be more Christ-like and look outwards to notice and respond to the wounded.

A few years ago someone I know, who at the time, had 6 small children was getting ready to go to their neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. She was hurrying trying to get everyone ready in the morning and out the door in time for the hunt. As things would have it they were running late. And we all know that kids can pick up Easter eggs faster then anything and so if you aren't there on time you will miss it. By the time this family got there the eggs had all been picked up and the hunt was over. Her kids were of course bummed but they just went on with the rest of the party and stayed to play at the park and eat popsicles with their neighbors. After everything was over they went home to find their entire yard covered with Easter eggs with a little note that said, "I noticed you missed the neighborhood hunt. My kids donated some of their eggs for your kids to have their own hunt at home. Happy Easter!"

I thought this story was so simple but it has had an impact on me even years later. It would have been so easy for that parent to be occupied taking pictures of her kids doing the hunt and totally miss anyone who was late. But she noticed and then did something about it. I tend to overcomplicate things but when I think of meaningful service that has been done to me it's actually the small things that I remember the easiest. The quick "thinking about you" text, dessert at my door, a hangout invite, or an unexpected but really tender conversation had with someone. It definitely takes a conscious effort to look outward but one way to help us look outward is to pray every day for the lens to see those God places in our path.

2. Have Compassion. The story continues (vs. 33) , "But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,"

Now in this parable Jesus didn't identify the injured man but we assume he was a Jew and I don't think it was any coinicidence that Jesus had a Samaritan be the one who actually stopped to help him. Nowdays we hear the story of the "Good Samaritan" and we don't think much of it but back in Jesus' day, to the Jews, the Samaritans were anything but good. Samaritans were regarded as inferior and were despised of by the Jews. They married outside of the covenant and were avoided, shunned, and hated.

What stuck out to me in this verse was that the response of the Samaritan was motivated by "compassion." Maybe this Samaritan, who spent much of his life feeling despised and hated, was so full of compassion for this stranger and enemy because he knew a thing or two about being judged, being left behind and being hurt. He knew what it was like to be ignored and mistreated and that compassion led him to respond. He chose to rescue someone who might not have done the same for him had the tables been turned.

We are always telling ourselves we should be doing more. And the adversary tells us yeah we probably should be so why even show up. And I think that sometimes we resist reaching out because we feel like we need to be at like this certain good place in life where we can go to someone struggling and be able to like lift them to this higher place or something. Like we feel like we have to have it all figured out to be of any good. And can't we all learn a little from the Samaritan of just showing up as we are, a little broken, and coming to someone who is also broken and be like, "Hey. I'm having a hard day and here's a qoute that has been lifting me a little lately." Or "I'm struggling with mom-life and balancing work schedules and wife-life. Like are you as tired as I am?" Or like, "Can we just sit together in our hard?"

I will never forget the story that Sister Potter shared in a testimony meeting a few years ago. I don't remember all the details but she shared about a particular time when she was struggling in the trenches of motherhood. She felt lonley and exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally with tackling the demands of parenting and life. It seemed like she felt like no one even saw her in her struggles, even God. She prayed to feel His love and to not feel so alone during this time. She then got a text from Sister Pizzaro, I believe, and I'm not sure if Sister Pizzaro like texts her on the regs but she just told her that she felt impressed to reach out to her and let her know she is there for her. We have all heard that qoute that "God does hear our prayers but it is usually through someone else that He answers them." We are called to do the work of Heaven as if He was here and on that day I believe He heard Lindsey's prayer and was like "Oh. I have a daughter, Megan, she'll respond, I can send to who her of my awareness and love for Lindsey."

I think just showing up is the compassion. Do what you are able and let Christ make up the difference.

3. Take Care of Him. And the best verses of all time is, verses 34-35, "[The Samaritan] "went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow (meaning that he stayed with him all through the night) when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee."

I love love the words "Take care of him." There is no explanation of that broken man's background or any back story just "take care of him." And if the innkeeper were to ask, "Yeah but how did he get hurt..." Take care of him. "But was this his fault?" Take care of him. "I know but what are his beliefs on..." Take care of him. "But does he align with.." Take care of him. None of the answers to those fictitious questions would have mattered. Just take care of him.

Joseph Smith said, "Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide for the widow, dry up the tear of the orphan, and comfort the afflicted. Whether in this Church, or any other, or in no church at all, wherever we find them."

It is so easy to love those that love us, who are kind to us, and who are like us. It seems to be much more difficult for us to just love to love. David Butler once said, "The Samaritan was not stopped by prejudices, fears and differences. He was not concerned about others perceptions or titles or cultural expectations. He did not follow man-made traditions and barriers that separate. Nowhere does it say comfort those in need, only if they deserve it, bear only when convenient, serve only those that make good choices, love only those who think, act, and belong to the same church has you."

God doesn't love us because we are particularly lovable; he does not love us only if we keep his commandments; he does not love us because we are just like him. He loves us in spite of our weaknesses, our sins and our failures to be kind to one another. He loves us in spite of who we are or what we have done. God does not put qualifiers to those who can have a relationship with Him and neither should we put qualifiers on those we should take care of.

Sometimes we think that we will serve or minister so so and so will come to church or be baptized but what about just loving to love. Yes, sometimes love looks like sharing your beliefs with someone but sometimes love looks like helping your neighbor when they need some help, whether it is on a Sunday or not. Or sometimes love looks like just showing up for someone that needs help. Or, this week in our Come Follow Me study, we learn about Ammon and how there are 52 verses of him showing King Lamoni that he is a true friend of his before he even begins to talk about God. The instruction to "take care of him" gives us an invitation to whomever you find, whatever the reason, our job is to love others without limits.

CONCLUSION The story ends with Jesus saying (vs. 36-37), "Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."

Go and do likewise! There are so many different ways that service is shown in this story. There wasn't just one wayl. That is what makes me fall in love with this story. Maybe service for you today looks like looking outward and praying for the lens to see others. Maybe it looks like not drawing lines in the sand with who we are compassionate to and who we are not. Maybe it looks like staying with someone through the night. Maybe it looks like giving our two pence and being generous with our fast offerings.

Michael Dorff from a BYU devotional stated: "As we try to see people differently, it is important to be kind and treat them "a little kinder than is necessary, " because we do not know what is going on in their lives. People do not wear signs hanging from their necks that display their current struggles. No one is wearing a sign that declares, "I'm scared I am going to fail my math class," or "I had a fight with my spouse," or "My mother passed away yesterday," or "I have cancer." If we knew these things, would we see people differently? Would we treat them differently?"

I think that is just a great reminder to be kinder than is necessary. I am grateful for a Savior, Jesus Christ, who sees me for who I am and loves me, even when I don't deserve it. He has shown us the perfect way to love and serve others. I am not sure exactly how each of us can fulfill the calling to serve others but I do know that God knows. If we are intentionally wanting and praying and looking for ways to love others He will guide us in those compassionate acts of discipleship. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.