Today in Church....

...we talked about Loving Our Neighbors. It was a great lesson. Of course, it made me reflect what I was doing for my neighbors and felt like I wasn't making the phone calls, providing dinner for, or stopping at the hospital like I should be doing. And then a sweet lady spoke up and said that the most important work of Charity isn't what we do outside the home, it's what we do inside it. I wrote her an email telling her thanks, and she wrote the following back:

I have hoped that I wasn't misunderstood and sounded like someone who was down on helping others.  That is not the case at all, but I feel like we want so much to do well serving others that we are hard on ourselves at times.  The fact that a mother and wife who tries to care for her family to the best of her ability IS a very charitable act.  When we do it with loving kindness to our children we will nurture charity in them that will serve tenfold as they grow.  Then we have more time to be charitable outside the walls of our home and we have raised up children who want to love others too.  It's a win, win situation.  This time in your life will be gone before you know it, and you can't bring it back to change what you do as a mother.  Enjoy loving them by letting them know you think they are your most important focus.  Spending time with our family and teaching them good principles of work and play and love are the most important charitable things you are doing right now. 

 

Dave came home one day from Goodyear some years ago and told me that there was a fellow worker who did just the opposite of most people.  He was a tough man in the office, but when he talked to his family on the phone he was loving and kind.  All too often we become so stressed about being perfect "outside out home" or "in front of others", that we take the stress out on our own family which isn't good for anyone involved. 

 

I think this is so important for a mother to remember:  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.  Your most important charity is motherhood and a good wife.  I see young mothers all to often trying to do well for EVERYONE THEY CAN POSSIBLY HELP while children suffer neglect.  I am not promoting spoiling our children and ignoring others.  Find peace in your heart by studying the scriptures and having time for prayer.  The Lord will bless you, I know.