As many of you may be aware, I have had life-long health-related difficulties. The extent of these difficulties has led to numerous surgeries and hospitalizations. Pain is a daily factor in whatever I do in life. I have done my best to push through things as much as I can to do what needs to be done on a daily basis, and the varying degrees of success or failure in those endeavors has largely been determined by the drive I can muster to do what I know needs to be done. And I know that I am no stranger to the concept that the load I carry, however heavy it may be at any given time, may be far less or far more cumbersome than what other people may be dealing with. A couple of things hat have resulted from all of this is that I have always tried to rise above whatever my condition might be to lift and encourage those around me, and it has always been hard on me to see the suffering on any scale of anyone with whom I am acquainted.
That is one of many reasons why, as a Welfare Services Missionary serving in a local Humanitarian Service Room at the Deseret Industries, I was touched by one massive project after another that would provide basic needs for those without such things. The memory of one in particular will live on in my heart for as long as I am able to remember and share it.
The story behind it is very moving. Andy Noble, a young man who was living in
Michigan and was 17 years old, was born prematurely with fetal alcohol syndrome.
He also had cerebral palsy, terminal lung disease, frequent seizures, uses
oxygen, and is unable to speak. At birth, doctors gave him less than a year to
live. Each day of his life was and is a miracle, and that was enough to make me
grateful for my own disabilities (cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus) but the
next part of the story is even more remarkable.
Andy, who loved everyone and
idolized all emergency service personnel, started a collection of patches from
emergency personnel in his hometown, and before long emergency services
personnel nationwide, hearing of his interest in them, sent in their patches. The Church became involved in this
story when one of the firemen who donated his patch to Andy let Salt Lake know
what Andy wanted to do with them. He could easily have kept them for his own private enjoyment, but this young man amazingly saw a higher purpose in the project he had started.
Before long, around 15,000 patches were sewn
onto 300 banners. Salt Lake did 100 and asked our center to do the other 200.
The banners became a quilt, which started a nationwide tour at the Vivint Smart Home Arena (which was then known as the Energy Solutions Arena) the beginning of the year following the start of the project.
But it gets even more
amazing. While money raised from these exhibits may have been badly needed for Andy’s medical care, all proceeds went to local emergency services charities wherever the
banners are displayed. Tears blurred my vision as, without one exception, each
volunteer who worked on the project expressed gratitude for the opportunity to
help this young man. While the banners may fade and grow tattered in time, the
spirit of the story behind the banners will remain in my heart forever, as will
the important lesson it taught me.
The lesson is this: A grateful heart is a serving heart, and
a heart that serves will become more grateful. If Andy Noble, this young man
with so many health problems, can take time to start a project that grew to
such a wide scope, why can’t we serve each other every day? As one of our hymns say,
“the world wants daily little kindly deeds.”
When I think of Andy Noble, I
think of another favorite hymn, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. Much like
the man whose words are the hymn, Andy Noble may not physically comprehend who
he is serving, but his spirit understands, and he is grateful to serve Him any
way he can, no matter how small. Andy’s service is acceptable to the Savior,
and at some point he will know it for himself. Will it be the same for us? I heard
it said once that gratitude is a spirit-filled principle. May I also suggest
that gratitude is a service-filled principle. Our gratitude increases as we
serve, and our service opens our minds and hearts to more things for which we can express gratitude.
The Christlike love which Andy Noble so nobly demonstrated should be an example to all who wish to be called the people of God. The Prophet Joseph Smith stated that "a man filled with the love of God is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges all over, anxious to bless the whole human race."
As Thanksgiving (and Christmas) approaches, I would like to invite all of
you who read this message to take time to serve. As you do so, you will be
blessed beyond your ability to comprehend. And as you recognize those blessings
in your life, your heart will swell with gratitude for the gift of your life.
Truly, my brothers and sisters, “because [we] have been given much, [we] too
must give.” I pray for the Lord’s blessings to be with us, that this time of
Thanksgiving will also become a season of service. For these blessings I pray in
the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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In addition to my life-long love for the subjects which I cover in the posts of this blog, I have long held the belief that we can disagree without becoming disagreeable. Differences of opinion are natural, while being disagreeable in expressing those differences is not. And in that sense, I have no desire to close the door on anyone who earnestly desires to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on subjects covered in the posts on this blog.
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