bigkath

BigKath: Just in case you were wondering, "bigkath" is made up of the first part of my last and first names and has nothing to do with my size. :o)

Monday, September 26, 2011

Making a difference, one snail at a time

I was walking on campus after a rainstorm and I noticed a girl in front of me stop and bend over to pick something up off of the sidewalk.  It was a snail.  She then gently carried the snail over to the flower bed where it would not be stepped on.  I was touched by this small act.  Many of us might think, "It is only a snail.  It doesn't matter."  But I bet it mattered to that snail! 

With life's unpredictable turns, I have found myself back home with my parents and back in the local singles ward.  I avoided it for a while, knowing that 90% of the people in the ward were younger than my little brother and the rest had very little motivation to get an education and make something of their lives.  Even though I am almost a decade older than most of them, I had the wrong attitude about the whole thing.  I was, once again getting caught up in the stresses and pressures to meet people, date, and ultimately, get married.  Knowing that there wasn't much marriage potential in that ward was discouraging.  But I was going about it all wrong.

It isn't about what is in it for me.  It is about what I can GIVE to the ward.  How can I serve them?  How can I touch someone's heart and make their life better?  How can I build God's kingdom?   This ward is full of little "snails" who need help and encouragement so that they aren't "stepped on" by the trials and temptations of the world.  Heavenly Father needs me to serve Him by serving His children.