| 
 Chilly
By Vickey Pahnke-Taylor
Editor's note:
If you've always wanted to sail to Alaska or the Caribbean, you
can do it in the company of Vickey Pahnke-Taylor and Meridian Magazine.
Click here
for information about Alaska, and here
for details about the Caribbean.
It was very cold. My hands
were numb and my nose was feeling — well, I couldn't feel it at
all. But my heart was very warm, as were the tears running down
my cheeks. We had taken a seemingly ordinary activity and
watched it become life-changing for a few young men and women —
maybe even a couple of leaders (maybe even myself).
It was nothing, really. Just
a small service for a sweet old lady who could do very little for
herself, but a whole lot for others. Though we went to serve her,
we were the ones who received the loving service — from a gracious,
valiant woman whose life experience and love shone through those
eyes that could no longer see.
While a few of us looked forward
to this activity, there were some who were cold to the idea. “Uncomfortable,”
“boring,” “useless,” were a few of the words I heard quietly tossed
around.
Funny — no one thought those
things as we left the humble home of our aged neighbor. I would
venture to say that, even on that cold, cold night every single
soul was warm as toast — and a bit stronger in testimony of the
blessings of the whole service concept.
As I write this article, I
figure that there is no reason for me to elaborate on the lady,
the circumstances, or any other details of the event. The feelings
running through me are universal ones. Feelings of gratitude, humility,
understanding, hope. They are feelings each of us gains when we
participate in going outside of our schedule, our comfort zone,
or our perceived abilities to do a little something for someone
else. It is the concept that matters, not the particulars.
What a way to warm up — even
when the temperatures or dispositions are chilly!
I have watched people who
are uncomfortable around disabled folks. I have seen many of them
have a change of heart — and grow in gratitude and love — toward
these same folks once they have spent some time in service. Who
was doing service for whom? Who benefited most?
I have seen young people wriggle
with discomfort around old people. Depending upon the youth, that
age might be 90 or 40! It warms my heart to watch the chill melt
away, so to speak, when a young person realizes how much they can
learn from — and enjoy — a friend whose earthly years have given
them additional wisdom and greater love.
I have experienced for myself
how worry becomes a relaxation of the soul once I have stepped away
from my to-do list and engaged myself in the moment of something
that comes up unexpectedly, offering a chance to live more fully
and graciously. Not by the book, but by the Spirit. Heartwarming,
no matter how chilly my mood began!
It has been said that we are
“as young as our faith, as old as our doubt, as young as our self-confidence,
as old as our fear, as young as our hope, as old as our despair”
( Ensign , November 1983, p.25). We may add that we are
as young (and warm) as our desire to serve, and as old (and chilly)
as our resistance to reach out.
King Benjamin spoke of our
service to our fellow beings, and that when we serve them we are
in the service of our God. Stepping outside ourselves and doing
something for someone else, then, is a way of showing our Father
in Heaven how much we love Him.
In the process, we grow in
love for the people we are serving. And we gain all kinds of blessings,
good feelings, and warmth inside these hearts of ours. What a deal!
Chilly? Pick up the phone
and call an elderly family member or neighbor. Volunteer at an old
folks home or retirement center. Work with a disabled group. Shovel
snow, fix a meal, sit and listen as a lonely soul shares memories
of his or her past. Read to someone who can no longer do for himself.
Offer what you can of money, goods, or time to one who is in need
of it.
But more importantly, offer
something of the heart that warms another's — something given in
the real spirit of love.
If this is something you already are doing, pray for additional
insights as to how to better understand, love, or serve. Ask for
greater capacity. Ask for a deeper understanding of “the pure love
of Christ” (Read Moroni 7:47.)
Then, as President
Spencer W. Kimball instructed, we can give as Christ gave:
Never did the Savior give
in expectation. I know of no case in his life in which there was
an exchange. He was always the giver, seldom the recipient… He gave
of Himself, his love, his service, his life. The wise men brought
him gold and frankincense. He gave them and all their fellow mortals
resurrection, salvation, and eternal life. We should strive
to give as he gave. To give of oneself is a holy gift.
Of course, Christ's perfectly given gifts cannot be duplicated by
us. But we can strive to duplicate the caring, the warmth, the desire
to give from the heart. There is no chill that genuine, loving service
cannot warm!
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© 2006 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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