Because I Have Been Given Much...

The title of this post is also the title of a hymn. What follows the three dots is "I too must give." This is something I try to remember when I get weary, when I am tired or feeling unappreciated.

In order for someone to have a life blessed with receiving, someone has to give. It follows that if we love someone, we want them to be blessed with the receipt of goodness. We are the instruments the Lord uses to bless others and to answer their prayers. It is a privilege to be one of His instruments, isn't it? I remind myself of that when someone asks me to do something that is inconvenient or that at first I just don't want to do.

In the Church we all have a job or calling. Sometimes you have to wonder why you get called to a particular task, especially if it is outside your comfort zone or your perceived realm of gifts and talents. But you say yes, willingly hopefully, and amazingly you are blessed as the Lord qualified those whom He calls. In the best of all worlds everyone magnifies that calling and does their very best. In reality it is not always so and sometimes the responsibilities left undone by one become the burden of another.

In those times it is easy to become critical, to backbite, to criticize another. This is one of the tools that Satan uses to be divisive and destroy our unity. Satan knows that if we are not one, we are not the Savior's. And oh, how he loves that!! This is when we need to put our concentration back upon our own performance and not judge, as we never know what burdens are already being born by that person.

I know that I can never repay the Savior for His gifts to me or to my family but, I try to look at it this way when I do get tired and frustrated and want to say no when asked to serve others.


He has answered all of our prayers and blessed us so abundantly that I cannot voice our gratitude enough. At every turn we see His blessings played out, day in and day out in our lives. They are there for us all, we just have to see them. Paying attention heightens my awareness and makes me want to serve Him by serving others all the time. And when the request seems unreasonable or too much, I might grumble a little under my breath, but for the most part we don't ever say no. And I hear the hymn in my head and heart..."Because I have been given much, I too must give."

In those times where I feel exhausted, once I have an attitude adjustment I am good to go. I need to just put my shoulder to the wheel and get to work, knowing that my Father in Heaven knows what I need and what another person needs and He wants everyone to be edified through the experience at hand. He wants a win/win for all His children. He is THE perfect parent.

I am grateful everyday for the people I associate with that are such good examples of giving of themselves. They teach me all the time, especially James. People like him don't think about it, or grumble or whine...they just do it.

The secret...they hve made that decision in advance. When someone needs them, they are there. They don't mull it over in their mind every time they are asked to do something...they made that decision a long time ago.

(Decisions in advance=no internal struggle over the issue.)
I truly do admire that so much!



I want to be more like Him someday!

Painting by Liz Lemon Swindle