Serving those who serve #LightTheWorld
Today was a day that I cannot begin to describe. It is important to me to try, as inadequate as I feel in doing so.
The week before Thanksgiving I was called to serve in the Kansas City Missouri Temple. My normal shift is Thursday mornings. I won't go into the details of what that entails, other than to say that is is my responsibility as part of the group working to make sure that patrons to the temple have the best possible experience. It has not been easy, as there is a lot of training, not just in procedure, but in manner of delivery, which is critical to that experience for those visiting. They don't take it lightly, and neither do I. It is a pure form of service to the Lord, to stand in His House, and to be His representative.
I have been learning so much in the last few weeks, but never more so than when interacting directly with those who have come to learn, to have burdens eased, to feel the Lord's Spirit. They have taught me so much!
Today was an incredible day. I had the opportunity to provide this labor for those who have been called full time to serve, His missionaries. These young people, (and some not so young) have dedicated anywhere from a year to two years to full time service. They are dedicated to preach the gospel, and to serve their fellow men in whatever service they can provide. They truly are an army of God. To be in their presence is to feel Christ's love for us.
Assisting these wonderful brothers and sisters was a blessing to me, and no doubt to my fellow coworkers. I was humbled in my capacity. I was humbled to be able to be taught of the Spirit by them, simply by their being there.
I wish that I could accurately describe their countenances. Having seen one of the missionaries that is serving in Paola, it was amazing to see the difference being in the temple makes. Not that he isn't always cheerful, he is, but the difference was, well, wow. It was the same for those that I have never met. Many were nervous, as attending the temple is not a common opportunity for them, but that in no way detracted from that countenance. Oh, wait, I just remembered. I would compare it to how Moses appeared, coming down from Sinai after speaking with God.
One thing I know. That feeling, that presence is not guaranteed to remain, either in them, or me, or anyone. It is a moment, and how we maintain that feeling is conditioned completely on not just our obedience to our Father in Heaven, but our complete submission of our will to Him. As we submit, we learn more and more about charity, the pure love of God. As we feel that charity, we are moved to help those around us. To lift them up. To serve however we can. I am woefully lacking in doing this, I will admit. It isn't enough to respond to requests for assistance, we have to be actively seeking those opportunities out.
How do we #LightTheWorld? By serving others. It doesn't have to be an organized project, or huge endeavor. It can be as simple as holding a door, greeting someone with a smile, picking up trashcans that have blown around the neighborhood, and take them up to your neighbor's house. How hard is that? To visit those that could use the visit.
As I left the temple today, I thought for sure that I heard "The Spirit of God" being sung. I waited until the chorus to join in, quietly, of course. What a day!
Not to wreck the mood, but it seems the blog has gone back to being an expression of my feelings, and thoughts mostly for my use, which is fine. I so appreciate the opportunity, and I actually feel better writing for me, than crafting my words for an audience. If you read, thank you, and I hope that my thoughts aren't too disjointed.
The week before Thanksgiving I was called to serve in the Kansas City Missouri Temple. My normal shift is Thursday mornings. I won't go into the details of what that entails, other than to say that is is my responsibility as part of the group working to make sure that patrons to the temple have the best possible experience. It has not been easy, as there is a lot of training, not just in procedure, but in manner of delivery, which is critical to that experience for those visiting. They don't take it lightly, and neither do I. It is a pure form of service to the Lord, to stand in His House, and to be His representative.
I have been learning so much in the last few weeks, but never more so than when interacting directly with those who have come to learn, to have burdens eased, to feel the Lord's Spirit. They have taught me so much!
Today was an incredible day. I had the opportunity to provide this labor for those who have been called full time to serve, His missionaries. These young people, (and some not so young) have dedicated anywhere from a year to two years to full time service. They are dedicated to preach the gospel, and to serve their fellow men in whatever service they can provide. They truly are an army of God. To be in their presence is to feel Christ's love for us.
Assisting these wonderful brothers and sisters was a blessing to me, and no doubt to my fellow coworkers. I was humbled in my capacity. I was humbled to be able to be taught of the Spirit by them, simply by their being there.
I wish that I could accurately describe their countenances. Having seen one of the missionaries that is serving in Paola, it was amazing to see the difference being in the temple makes. Not that he isn't always cheerful, he is, but the difference was, well, wow. It was the same for those that I have never met. Many were nervous, as attending the temple is not a common opportunity for them, but that in no way detracted from that countenance. Oh, wait, I just remembered. I would compare it to how Moses appeared, coming down from Sinai after speaking with God.
One thing I know. That feeling, that presence is not guaranteed to remain, either in them, or me, or anyone. It is a moment, and how we maintain that feeling is conditioned completely on not just our obedience to our Father in Heaven, but our complete submission of our will to Him. As we submit, we learn more and more about charity, the pure love of God. As we feel that charity, we are moved to help those around us. To lift them up. To serve however we can. I am woefully lacking in doing this, I will admit. It isn't enough to respond to requests for assistance, we have to be actively seeking those opportunities out.
How do we #LightTheWorld? By serving others. It doesn't have to be an organized project, or huge endeavor. It can be as simple as holding a door, greeting someone with a smile, picking up trashcans that have blown around the neighborhood, and take them up to your neighbor's house. How hard is that? To visit those that could use the visit.
As I left the temple today, I thought for sure that I heard "The Spirit of God" being sung. I waited until the chorus to join in, quietly, of course. What a day!
Not to wreck the mood, but it seems the blog has gone back to being an expression of my feelings, and thoughts mostly for my use, which is fine. I so appreciate the opportunity, and I actually feel better writing for me, than crafting my words for an audience. If you read, thank you, and I hope that my thoughts aren't too disjointed.
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