Service with Legos

For Christmas my 7 year old son, Benjamin, got the submarine docking Lego kit of his dreams.  It is recommended for children ages 7-14 and as his birthday is on the 19^th of December he was certain he would qualify for the kit.  His excitement was palpable when he opened the gift.  He later got out the needed containers to keep his parts all separated and began working diligently on following the building map at the kitchen table.  His older brother, Samuel, was doing the same thing on the other side of the table but with his Lego starship.  After about 45 minutes of diligent building it became clear that the build was just a bit more complicated than Benjamin was up for, so Samuel offered to work on it for a bit if Benjamin wanted to go do something else for awhile.  Samuel worked on Ben’s ship until it was dinner time and Ben was bouncing with gratitude that his brother would help him on his submarine.  After the boys were in bed I found my husband sitting at the table trying to get the submarine finished so that Ben could play with it in the morning.  He stayed up way past his own bedtime working until it was finished.  The joy and unbelief on Benjamin’s face and in his voice was overwhelming as he thanked his papa and his brother again for finishing building his kit.  It made me think of the parable of the bicycle.  Ben did all he could and his dad and brother stepped in to make up the difference.  I feel so blessed that my guys love and serve one another and that as family members we can emulate the Savior’s love for each other in our day to day lives.

"Superwoman" an accusation. . .

I was having a great day, house was in control, my boys were up and dressed, we had all had a healthy breakfast when the phone rang. It was a sister that I Visit Teach, she was having a very rough day. I offered to watch her children while she went to the temple and took some time to take care of herself. After I got off the phone with her, I went to say a quick prayer that she would find the peace of mind and body she was seeking. I received the impression that I should make dinner for her family. So I got out 2 crock pots and made dinner for my family in one and hers in the other. I thought while I was at it, I could make sandwiches and cut up some fruit for all of us for lunch as it was apt to get a bit chaotic with 5 children under the age of five, including one infant.

I felt a bit overwhelmed by the daunting task of entertaining 5 young children for several hours but I knew that it would be okay. When she arrived with her children in tow, we visited and she gave me special instructions for her littlest one and then quite out of the blue she accused me of being “superwoman”. I know in my brain that this was just her way of expressing her feelings of being overwhelmed and inadequate but it struck me like a physical blow. And suddenly all that I had done, needed to do and was trying to do felt so much weightier. It took me some time after she had left to let go of the feeling of weight on my shoulders and put my concerns back in the hands of my Savior. Later that night I was reading further in the book Glimpses into the life of Marjorie Pay Hinkley and found the following quotes which really helped me to put it all back into perspective for me.

President Spencer W. Kimball said, “We are not asking for something spectacular, but rather for the women of the Church to find real self-fulfillment in the pursuit of righteousness in worthy endeavors.” (As quoted by Marjorie Pay Hinkley, pp 202 Glimpses into the life of Marjorie Pay Hinkley)


A quote from Brigham Young, “Daily toil, however humble, is our daily duty and by doing it well we make it part of our daily worship.” And, I might add, part of our faith. (As quoted by Marjorie Pay Hinkley, pp 202 Glimpses into the life of Marjorie Pay Hinkley)

I fell asleep that night being grateful that I am not Superwoman. I am a daughter of a Father in Heaven who loves me and I love him. I believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all; indeed, I may say that I follow the admonition of Paul—I believe all things, I hope all things, I have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, I seek after these things. (Thirteenth Article of Faith) The words Jesus spoke in Mathew 19:26 "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." will help me to keep my perspective and my burdens light.

From a Distance

I was having a really difficult time awhile ago. Then one day I realized those around me are only seeing me from a distance, they do not take the time to see me and know my struggles close-up.

The moon from here on earth looks perfectly smooth and glowing bright, and yet we know that were we to walk on the moon or see it close up with a telescope that it would be covered with an uneven surface and marked by craters from where it has been hit by meteors. A mountain peak from a distance looks smooth, just like we drew them as children; but the one who climbs it intimately knows the crevices, terrain, boulders and vegetation which make it difficult to climb. With the powerful electron microscopes of today we have been shown that not even a tabletop is perfectly smooth. From a distance those around me cannot comprehend why I spent an hour sobbing in an empty dark room, not that they know I did that, as they were so far distant. The closer you get to someone or something the more clearly you see and understand the trials faced.

Among the many commandments that we receive in D&C 42 it states in verse 52, “And they who have not faith to do these things, but believe in me, have power to become my sons, and inasmuch as they break not my laws thou shalt bear their infirmities. Barbara B. Smith counseled us when she was General Relief Society President to be sensitive to the changes that come into others lives as well as our own. How can we do that if we aren’t close enough to know when transitions are happening? Are we truly getting to know and be close to our brothers and sisters in the gospel or are we seeing them from a distance and only seeing what can be viewed from that distance?

“We are constantly being made aware of the realities of life, which include many transitional phases—from youth to maturity, from single to married, from a house filled with children to an empty house, from military to civilian life, from employment to retirement, from married to widowed or divorced, from young and vibrant to old and dependent. Each transition brings with it a special set of stresses and concerns. Each of us needs a listening ear, at times, and encouragement as we seek to find our way. Relief Society officers and teachers and members can offer help through these difficulties. We must be sensitive to the changes that come into each others lives.” (Barbara B. Smith, “The Bond of Charity,” Ensign, Nov. 1980, 103)