Simple Greatness

IAT = I am thankful

for a/c that works (while it lasts), for good examples, for great people I know, for a Father in our home, for a Father above

The older I get, the more I like church. Hmmm, is church better or am I better? Probably church, but I *am* trying to be better. In RS today, the lesson was on True Greatness. There were a couple of quotes I really liked. All Howard W Hunter except where noted.

“Giving consistent effort in the little things in day-to-day life leads to true greatness. Specifically, it is the thousands of little deeds and tasks of service and sacrifice that constitute the giving, or losing, of one’s life for others and for the Lord." 

“Those things which we call extraordinary, remarkable, or unusual may make history, but they do not make real life. After all, to do well those things which God ordained to be the common lot of all mankind, is the truest greatness. To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman.” Joseph Smith

 "To do one’s best in the face of the commonplace struggles of life—and possibly in the face of failure—and to continue to endure and to persevere in the ongoing difficulties of life when those struggles and tasks contribute to others’ progress and happiness and one’s own eternal salvation—this is true greatness."

"The achievement of true greatness is a long-term process. It may involve occasional setbacks. The end result may not always be clearly visible, but it seems that it always requires regular, consistent, small, and sometimes ordinary and mundane steps over a long period of time."

 "It is this...aspect of our self-evaluation—the effect of our lives on the lives of others—that will help us understand why some of the common, ordinary work of life should be valued so highly. Frequently it is the commonplace tasks we perform that have the greatest positive effect on the lives of others, as compared with the things that the world so often relates to greatness."

Our teacher shared two powerful stories. Both triggered my memory of great people in my life. The first was a story by Former General RS Pres, Julie Beck about her heartbreak as a young mother when her mother moved very far away.

Who will be my mother???

It made me think of the same question I've had nearly my whole life long. Who is my mother? Who will be my mother? And my answer was similar to Julie's mother's answer to her. From the time I was 5, it was either an aunt, a grandmother, a sister in Primary, Young Women, and later visiting teachers, visiting teaching companions, fellow sisters I served with, women I visit taught, close friends, sisters-in-law, my mother-in-law and many more. I watched them all carefully. Because I wanted to be a good mother. Especially since I did not particularly feel I started out as one; not having had an example myself. What a blessing these women were to me! And continue to be! I've even made friends with some of the older generation through the years, and some of them have become dear friends.

The second story shared through video is a tear jerker I saw a few months ago. A true example of simple greatness, done quietly with no fanfare.

A group of men band together to help a woman whose husband left her after she was diagnosed with MS. A must watch.

Lift--The POWER of service

Hearing Kathy's story, made me think of another Kathy I knew. I had been called as a Primary President in my ward and had called two very capable counselors. One of them had a large family like me. In fact, I had my sixth baby while I was Primary President. The other was a single mom of two. I loved these women! They helped me accomplish a very simple but great work in our stewardship over about 40 children.

We had a boy in Primary that took our attention frequently. He was a happy active boy with Down's Syndrome. He needed a special assistant for his own needs and he was the topic of discussion in our presidency meetings most of the time for at least two years. For some reason, this position to be his assistant proved nearly impossible to fill. No sooner than we THOUGHT we had filled the position, his assistant would move, or be gone a lot, or stop coming to church altogether. It was so frustrating to not be able to meet his needs. It was a constant matter of prayer. We finally got the bright idea to call a couple. One to be his assistant and one to teach the rest of his class. This was all going quite well when out of nowhere, the man in the couple was called to be the Elder's Quorum President.

I was so shocked I cried. I went into the bishop's office crying. He felt terrible. He'd forgotten completely where the man was serving. And I had a witness in that moment, that he was called of God. Because if the bishop had remembered, he would have never called him, because he would have known the burden it would be to us.

In desperation, one more time, we went to the table in prayer to figure out what to do. And then Kathy spoke up. "I could do it." Could do what? "I could be his assistant and you can get a new counselor." Well that's the LAST thing I wanted to do, but as we pondered that possibility it absolutely made the most sense. It would be far easier to get a counselor, sadly, than it would to continue to put this sweet boy through the chaos he was experiencing

So, I called a new counselor. And for the next 6 years or so (long after we were released), she was his exclusive assistant. What a simple yet GREAT commitment and act of love and service! It sure made a difference to him!!! It was an amazing testimony to me. I was so grateful! And I got to have another really great counselor. After he left Primary, a brother in our ward served him in an equally great way until the boy became a young man and unfortunately passed away several years later.

There are many ways in the world to be great. I don't dismiss the purposes individuals in life have that they dedicate their lives to. But it really is the small and simple things that bring great things to pass.

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