The morning doves, robins, killdeer, and all the blackbirds are back. Calvin plowed the garden. The bulbs have sent up shoots. The chicken coop is at its most disgusting. The hens are laying again. We’ve had lots of rain. Welcome home Spring.
I’ve mentioned before that Calvin has a calling in the singles’ ward, so for the past three years we’ve attended church there instead of in a family ward. Because of the frequent move-ins and -outs in a singles’ ward, visiting teaching changes monthly and I have a new woman to visit. Our message last month and this month was about self-reliance/debt reduction so I took the makings for Miracle Bread and thought I’d teach her how to make it for our lesson. Her roommate answered the door and said she was gone for the day, so I asked her if she’d like to make bread and she said she’d be glad to learn (bless her heart). It was fun to visit with her—she’s witty, pretty, energetic, and independent. I’m so glad she humored me and let me in . . . and I do hope the loaf of bread turned out.
I’ve mentioned before that Calvin has a calling in the singles’ ward, so for the past three years we’ve attended church there instead of in a family ward. Because of the frequent move-ins and -outs in a singles’ ward, visiting teaching changes monthly and I have a new woman to visit. Our message last month and this month was about self-reliance/debt reduction so I took the makings for Miracle Bread and thought I’d teach her how to make it for our lesson. Her roommate answered the door and said she was gone for the day, so I asked her if she’d like to make bread and she said she’d be glad to learn (bless her heart). It was fun to visit with her—she’s witty, pretty, energetic, and independent. I’m so glad she humored me and let me in . . . and I do hope the loaf of bread turned out.
Calvin brings me home some of the best little surprises. Sometimes it’s a few stalks of asparagus he’s picked from the side of the road, sometimes it’s a candybar, sometimes it’s a free calculator, and sometimes it’s . . . an old Libby’s tomato juice can.
A few years ago my then eight-year-old niece Maddie said, “Aunt Jane do you know what I want to do when I grow up? I want to go to China. But since that’s not probably where I will end up I want a big house and then I’ll go to Chinatown. You know why? ‘Cause when we went there, there were lots of poor people on the street and I want to take them home to my big house so I can take care of them." I thought of Maddie's comment this week when I heard about these other acts of service. Inspiring. They are all so inspiring to me:
a. I was visiting with my niece, Jenny, on the phone and asked her what projects she was making. She told me of her friend who is expecting a baby in six weeks; the baby has severe complications and is not expected to live. My niece’s friend wanted to make a baby blanket for each of her other children so that they would have something tangible with which to remember the baby. My niece had been given fabric and batting some time ago so she offered to help her pregnant friend make blankets from the free supplies. One friend helped another, who helped another. Chain reaction services seldom end.
b. Barb wrote that her daughter Carmen requested that her family sponsor a child from Mozambique for her birthday gift.
c. I read in the Church News of a nine-year-old girl named Sarah who is sewing skirts for children in Haiti. Her grandmother taught her how to sew them and irons the fabric for her. Sarah has already made nineteen skirts. Her goal is thirty.
What a great week.
10 comments:
I love the message in this blog! Big hearts...what a gift in a world full of hard things...a softer landing with Christ-like love!
Great acts of service! My goal for March is to get the high school involved with that Haiti initiative...we'll see how that actually goes. Every year they surprise me though with what we contribute to the red cross. I'm jealous that spring is coming for you. I thought a week ago that we were in the clear....temperatures were in the 30's, the river had thawed, and sun was shining...a cruel little joke, the river is frozen we have more snow and it is -7. I'm not laughing :)
Such delicious bread! You can come over anytime you want...with or without Emily here. ;)
love that you touched the life of "the roomate"
I have always heard that we won't be judge on the things we think we have done wonderfully, but it will be the acts of service that we give. Can't you just hear Him now asking "and what did you do to help your neighbor?" I have one of those roads that is paved with good intentions and is headed for the "hot place." That is one reason I love reading your blog....it reminds me of what I should be doing, should be thinking and should be living. Great to have you in my life.
I love it that you brought the ingredients for Miracle Bread so you could teach your visiting teachee, and love it even more than you taught her roommate instead! What a gift!
I saw tulip leaves coming up the other day!
I love that that is what a "great week" is! Thanks for re-focusing my view.
I wish you could come visit teach me! I love that Calvin brings you things. The tomato can is cool! So is that adorable sheep next to it.
What a brilliant idea to teach the girl you visit to make bread! Such a great practical application of the lesson, I love it.
For some reason, I am always taken aback when children get into service. So inspiring.
Yeah for Spring! I picked a purple pansy yesterday!! Yeah for service!
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