Rescuing Others

This past Sunday my Gospel Doctrine lesson used the rescue of the Martin & Willie Handcart companies as the backdrop for a discussion on the importance of rescuing others. Based on the private comments and phone calls that I took immediately after the class ended and in the days following, I think that this topic hit a nerve with many that were in attendance. I'm not sure if that is the correct way to categorize it, but you get my point. As for me personally, I was overcome by the Spirit in a way that I probably haven't been in awhile. The whole experience was very emotional for me and stayed with me for much of the day.

A few months ago I found myself in a very, very dark spot; one that I'm a little embarrassed to admit. While I tried to keep a positive face on in front of the kids, I was emotionally wiped out. It had been over a year since my former employer had stopped paying me and we had not been able to find a steady job, the commission sales job that I was doing was not producing enough to keep us alive, and we were running out of things to sell. Our income was down, on average, over 80 percent, but somehow our bills really didn't change. I convinced myself that God didn't love me, that he wasn't listening to my pleadings for help, and that he was simply willing to let me twist in the wind. What had I done wrong to deserve this? After all, I attended the temple regularly, I did my calling faithfully, we participate actively, we help others whenever possible, we're honest in our dealings with others, we hold FHE every week, etc. And yet . . . nothing, no help, no answers, no job, no interviews, no prospects . . . nothing. The week that I really bottomed out was my turn to teach Gospel Doctrine and it was D&C sections 121, 122, & 123. Coincidence? Probably not. Teaching that lesson made me realize that I simply needed to chin-up, go to work with a smile on my face, and be grateful for all of the good things in my life. That lasted up until two weeks ago, when I managed to find a brand new low. No commission check for the previous six weeks, no web sales, no room left on the Visa, overdrawn in the checking account, and a daughter with an 11th birthday two days away and not a dime to my name to buy her a gift. What in the @#%* has happened to me!!!??? This isn't who I am! That day, on a Thursday to be exact, I don't think I've ever broken down and wept so much, and so many times in the same day. To add more stress to the situation, four days earlier I woke up on Sunday morning to find a large mass growing in my lymph nodes under one arm. . . great! Maybe I can get cancer now too! I was crashing and didn't know how to stop it.

However, things started to look a little better the following week. A former business partner who owns a tile and granite company picked up three large projects that started at the same time and offered to let me come and set tile for a week or two. While it's a job for 20 year old guys, it will be a lifesaver financially. And two neighbors have reached out to me in the past week with offers to set me up with interviews at their companies, which I very much appreciate. Back to the tile job for a minute. So I'm doing this tile job with one of Jerry's employees named Dave. Dave just got out of prison a few months ago and desperately needs to find a new place to live before his parole officer finds out that he isn't living with his brother. He was going to look at a few places last Friday night. I asked him several questions and learned that he literally had a few clothes, the used car his dad was borrowing him, and nothing else. No bed, no sheets, no couch, no dishes, nothing. As I was preparing my lesson for Sunday, Dave was on my mind a lot. And the fact that there are thousands of Daves around us was on my mind as well. A few nights earlier, Jen and I were invited by a friend who is the director of nursing for an oncology group, to attend the annual black-tie fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. It was $250 a plate, but a few of the doctors at their practice couldn't go at the last minute, so we got the invite. I was gripped by several of the stories that were told by the speakers and warmed by the help that generous and caring people provided to others. This was all on my mind when I delivered the lesson on Sunday.

I worry a lot that, either intentionally or unintentionally, we insulate ourselves from the pain that others are suffering all around us, while we live comfortably in our pleasant subdivision. The truth is, that most of it is probably unintentional. We're all very busy. But does our self-inflicted busy-ness (?) make us miss opportunities to truly live our religion by serving others? For me the answer has been "yes" for far to long. Helping others who really need our help isn't always easy. And I'm not suggesting that we regularly invite convicted felons into our homes for dinner. I just think that we can do a lot more than we're doing, and there as so many opportunities if we just make the effort. Several people have contacted me since the lesson about things they can do. I found one link that may be a good place to start: http://www.co.davis.ut.us/health/family_health/inhome_services/volunteer_opportunities/default.cfm but there are so many others. At the cancer benefit, they talked about the Cancer Resource Network, and how so many people, without a local support network of family and friends, need rides to and from chemotherapy treatments every week or two. That's an easy way to bless the life of someone, right? Again we just need to look for an opportunity and get involved.

By-the-way, Dave found a room to rent and will be moving in this weekend. Several Sand Springs ward members have quietly offered beds, sheets, couches, microwaves, plates, etc. which I will pick up on Monday and deliver to his new place. I hope that if you're reading this you make the effort to reach outside your comfort zone and help someone who desperately needs it. Pay it forward baby, pay it forward.

Steve

President Obama's Speech to our School Children

I am not sure what all of the hubbub is about the President's speech to our nation's school children. I listened to it with the children in a class that I was a substitute for. I also read the speech. I have to say that the speech was one of the best and most encouraging-along with putting responsibility where it belongs-that I have heard in a long time. I am glad that we seem to be past the rhetoric that said we need to not make children feel bad by giving them bad grades for bad work. (Are you kidding me??) Americans need what they were taught a long time ago--times like when this country was founded. They need to know that there is such a thing as morals and that having morals is what makes this country a great country and a better place to be. Without morals, our country would sink to a lower place than it ever knew. The Founding Fathers knew that morals were something, along with religion, that would be the foundation that kept this country free. They said so in their writings. Part of being a moral people is being responsible for yourself. And I mean responsible in a positive way. This country is still around because of the great people in it who are responsible, moral, freedom-loving people. I am one of them. I hope you are too.

Debt

This is a post that I posted on my political blog. I thought it was worth posting here as well.

I am reading a book about Andrew Jackson. It is called American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. The author is John Meacham. Although it may be obvious, I am quite concerned about the tremendous debt that we are in as a nation. We are in debt to China, apparently. We are also in debt to other nations. This is not only a worry because we may never pay it off, but because it could render us to a critical position if our creditors ever decided to call all of our debts due. This was brought to my mind by a small part that I read in this book. This is how it was stated in the book:

"Related, in Jackon's mind, was the issue of the national debt (the money owed by the federal government). To him debt was dangerous, for debt put power in the hands of creditors--and if power was in the hands of creditors, it could not be in the hands of the people, where Jackson believed it belonged."

I concur. As I mentioned briefly before, one of the ideals that was important to the founding fathers was balancing the need for something with our ability to pay for it. Seeing our indebtedness and the height that it will be raised to if we fund a national health care program makes me tremble. The debt will never be paid in our lifetime and that is a lousy legacy to leave to our children. Don't you agree?