Marilee had such an impact on my attitude, I’d like to share her message.
To set the stage…We attended church in Brownsville, Texas. At the time of my ‘training’, John & I had seven children, John was a member of the ward Bishopric and a great deal of his Sabbath day responsibilities kept him busy.. out of the home. The boundaries of the McAllen Texas Stake were large. Our home was 60 miles from the stake center. I, as one of Marilee’s Stake Primary Counselors, had ridden with Marilee on assignment to visit a branch on the other side of the stake. I took the youngest two children with me.
Both of the children were asleep, as Marilee pulled the car into our drive. [This was in the days before seat belt restrictions] The three year old was asleep on the back seat, and the infant was asleep in my arms. Full well knowing what to expect after the oldest five had been home for several hours without adult supervision, I said, “I’ll take Stephen in and be right back to get Emily.”
Marilee alighted from the drivers seat, volunteering, “I’ll bring her in for you.”
“NO,” I protested… “You don’t need to. I’ll be right back for her”
After a couple more exchanges, Marilee explained. “You don’t understand. I WANT to SEE! Then when I get home, I won’t feel so bad about the condition of MY home.”
I laughed, and accepted her help. I made a mental note…”Let people see your messes, if it helps them feel better about themselves.”
Trust me.. I’ve helped lot of people ….feel really good about themselves or their efforts. We all love to give service to others… but when the table has been turned… and WE NEED a helping hand, accepting it graciously can be a challenge to learn. I hope each of us can remember something I learned from my father-in-law, Wally, when I offered assistance (service); ” you don’t have to do that, BUT who am I to deny you your blessings.”
“Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.” – Anthony Burgess
Standing up to Parkinson's 