{"id":2111,"date":"2016-05-27T15:42:05","date_gmt":"2016-05-27T15:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/anensignwaving.com\/?p=2111"},"modified":"2016-05-27T15:53:07","modified_gmt":"2016-05-27T15:53:07","slug":"what-shall-we-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/anensignwaving.com\/?p=2111","title":{"rendered":"What Shall We Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\u201cMom? Could we have some brownies for dessert tonight?\u201d<\/em>\n

Dani\u2019s little voice called out from her booster seat in the back of the van.<\/p>\n

I sighed as I began our drive back home from the dance studio.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Dani, that sounds like an awfully fun idea, but there\u2019s just no way we can do that today.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The tears started to silently well up in her six-year-old eyes\u2013 and I found myself fighting the urge to join her.<\/p>\n

The month has been long. When you have five young children, the end of the school year is filled with breathtaking chaos. This year we have been bouncing around between preschool graduation, kindergarten graduation, orchestra concerts, elementary school opera performances, a\u00a0dual immersion program, school fundraisers, show choir meetings, dance rehearsals, and soccer matches. We don\u2019t overschedule our kids as a general rule, but May always seems to be a\u00a0perfect storm of insanity.<\/p>\n

\"Neill<\/p>\n

This May has the additional complication of my husband literally being on the other side of the world as he travels throughout China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand for his foreign business excursion through BYU\u2019s executive MBA program. It has been difficult for the kids to have their dad gone during a particularly important time of the year for them\u2013 especially since he spent all of last year working out of town. The last couple of years have been full of sacrifices for our little family, and the stress of it all seemed to come to a head last night.<\/p>\n

Although I\u2019ve honestly felt that I\u2019ve been coping just fine, as I drove Dani home from dance a deep weariness settled in. It covered me like a thick, heavy blanket. Upon our\u00a0arrival home I found myself entirely exhausted. Pushing through, we had dinner and made it through the necessities of the evening\u2013 when a pinched nerve I\u2019d been nursing throughout the week started to flare up in my neck and upper back. Between the pain and the fatigue, there was no other option than to go lay down in my bed. It was 6:30 in the evening, and I was feeling defeated.<\/p>\n

Imagine my surprise then, when the doorbell rang a mere\u00a0ten minutes later. Unable to get out of bed quickly enough, Dani answered the door. A few moments later, she came bounding into my room with something in her hands.<\/p>\n

A plate of homemade brownies.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1247\"<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In her recent Conference address, Neill F. Marriott<\/a> remarked that true Christlike love involves making space for others in your life, and that as children of God we have a call to bring life and hope to our fellow brothers and sisters.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the women of the Church,\u00a0she\u00a0encouraged<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Think of the many ways you give life. It could mean giving emotional life to the hopeless or spiritual life to the doubter. With the help of the Holy Ghost, we can create an emotionally healing place for the discriminated against, the rejected, and the stranger. In these tender yet powerful ways, we build the kingdom of God\u2026<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Shortly after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, the New Testament records<\/a> that the Apostle Peter taught a crowd on the day of Pentecost. The listeners, having been so moved by Peter\u2019s words and desiring to follow God\u2019s will for them asked, \u201cWhat shall we do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspired by these events, Sister Marriott remarked<\/a>:<\/p>\n

When we ask ourselves, \u201cWhat shall we do?\u201d let\u2019s ponder this question: \u201cWhat does the Savior do continually?\u201d He nurtures. He creates. He encourages growth and goodness. Women and sisters, we can do these things!<\/p>\n

Our high responsibility is to become women who follow the Savior, nurture with inspiration, and live truth fearlessly.\u00a0As we ask Father in Heaven to make us builders of His kingdom, His power will flow into us and we will know how to nurture [as God does.]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Our actions don\u2019t have to be grand and public in order to accomplish\u00a0God\u2019s work. Mother Teresa has been attributed with these beautiful words:\u00a0\u201cNot all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.\u201d Indeed, I think that some of the greatest moments of Christlike ministry are found in those small moments.<\/p>\n

As the Book of Mormon prophet Alma taught<\/a> his son Helaman:<\/p>\n

Now ye may suppose that this is\u00a0foolishness\u00a0in me; but behold I say unto you, that by\u00a0small\u00a0and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

By listening to that still, small voice and immediately following those promptings, we have the opportunity to be a very tangible force for good in this world. As Sister Marriott has said<\/a>:<\/p>\n

The Lord\u2019s Church needs Spirit-directed women who use their unique gifts to nurture, to speak up, and to defend gospel truth. Our inspiration and intuition are necessary parts of building the kingdom of God, which really means doing our part to bring salvation to God\u2019s children.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I am grateful for such compassionate neighbors who were inspired to bring a little treat over to our family last night. There is no way they could have known of the tender mercy it was to a tired mom and her brownie-craving daughter. But that simple act was a testimony to me of a loving God that knows our needs and will walk with us through those difficult days.<\/p>\n

So when you\u2019re wondering what your life\u2019s true purpose is and look to the heavens with the question, \u201cWhat shall I do?\u201d, search within for that quiet voice. It will call to you and lead you to places of profound charity and love.<\/p>\n

He will speak to you and guide you in your efforts.<\/p>\n

Those small and simple things might just\u00a0change the world.
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