Door Locks

Often I wake up with interesting thoughts. This morning I woke up with the image of a door lock clearly in my mind. It was the kind that latches public bathroom stalls. How strange. As I lay there in that state somewhere between sleep and fully awake I tried to remember a dream or some reason for the strange image. I couldn't. So I pondered door locks. Locks can protect us, but sometimes they can keep us isolated as well. I thought of how sometimes life for me has been so tramatizing that I have learned to lock out people and feelings, even the love of the Lord. I then thought of our recent stake conference. We had a general authority come and change our Stake Presidency. Elder Gonzales talked of the Christus Statue --- Christ with his arms open wide. He said too often we leave the Savior standing there with his arms outstretched and we never allow Him to encircle His loving arms around us! Or we dodge His love and go right under His outstreched arms. Or we just lock it out!

The Least Among Us

The following is a story passed on to me by a friend from the internet about a handicapped boy named Shay. I normally do not pass on these stories and take them all with a grain of salt. But myth or not, I liked this one, and decided to share it. It reminds me of the Savior's words, "If ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me!"

At a fund-raising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: “When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?”

The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. “I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.”

Then he told the following story: Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they'll let me play?” I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play.

The boy looked around for guidance and said, “We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.”

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, “Shay, run to first! Run to first!” Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, “Run to second, run to second!” Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball … the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, “Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay." Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, “Run to third! Shay, run to third!” As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, “Shay, run home! Run home!” Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team. “That day”, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.”

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the “natural order of things.” So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process? A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats the least fortunate amongst them.

Charity NEVER Faileth

Tonight I was at Walmart at 8:00 p.m. I was tired. I looked around and EVERYONE seemed tired. The clerk was a young man who looked tired too. I handed him a clothing item first and asked him not to lay it down on the wet and dirty counter. He glared at me and literally snatched the item from my hands. Then he stomped off to get some towels to wipe the counter. Then, after glaring at me again he angrily called someone to bring him cleaner and more towels. I tried to explain that he only needed to keep my clothing off the wet counter and it would be okay.

He just glared at me again, and I said in an impatient voice. "Hey, I didn't do anything."

He just continued on with my order completely ignoring me. I felt annoyed and embarassed and wondered what had happened to friendly customer service, even civility, and I considered finding a manager to complain about this rude angry clerk.

Then for no reason I just smiled at him and said, "Hey, just smile! I'm old enough to have learned that no matter how bad today seems, things ALWAYS get better. Now, can you please just give me a smile?"

And, he couldn't help himself. He did. Then, he walked around the counter, shook my hand and thanked me saying, "You are very kind" and thanked me again as he pumped my hand.

My surprised smile spread to my eyes this time and I replied, "Now that's better. You have a great night and a wonderful day tomorrow!" I left him chuckling and I felt great. I didn't feel tired. My steps were light as I walked to my car passing on his smile, to all the tired, cranky people on my way out.

Charity NEVER does fail! I hope I remember to try this more often!

Ordinary People

I had the most extraordinary dream last night. It seemed to last for hours and in such great detail! Ron and I were visiting Aunt Mame’s house after it had been restored and opened to the public. It was so large, and we marveled at the changes. It was just filled with memorabilia and at the end of the tour you could buy copies to help offset the cost of the restoration.

The extraordinary thing about the dream, was that as the tour guide moved us from room to room she taught the values of hard work, honesty, etc. of the couple who had built the home. In the dream they began to blend with Ron’s other grandparents the Fairbourns and some of the rooms looked like their house. But, then the entire church was celebrating these people. In all the wards they were having anyone who was descended from them speak in church. I marveled because these people were not prophets or famous public servants, just good ordinary people. Ron, Krisiti, Brian, Julie and Becky as well as little Becky and Ammon all participated and they were each amazed that they would be asked to do this.

The amazing thing about the dream was the feelings that it left me with. This morning I still feel a sense of deep gratitude that my husband and children are descended from such a noble family! And, I am a little amazed that these people were being so honored not for some extraordinary large scale public achievement, but for simply being good!

I am reminded of Elder Packer’s last conference talk when he said that the common good people in the church are the same in the Lord’s eyes as the highest leaders! I need to read this talk again, because most of the time I feel so insignificant! I wish I could express the profound feelings of honor and respect these people and “our family” were receiving for simply being good honorable people!

Variety of our Bounty

I was at the store today buying fresh fruits and vegtables. As I put the beautiful oranges, apples and bananas into my cart I looked around at all the variety of wonderful foods we are priveledged to have. I felt a sudden surge of gratitude to our Heavenly Father for this amazing bounty! What a wonderful time in which we live.
I could not help but remember when I was a little child . . . and oh, how I loved fruit. I could NEVER have it except in the fall when I could pick it from a tree. My best friend and I would ride our bicycles to the banks of the canal in West Jordan, then climb the abandonded fruit trees that grew along it's banks, and make ourselves sick eating apricots and green apples! My bike was a very, very old one we found in my Grandmother's garage. My friend Pauline helped me paint it with flat grey wall paint, you know to improve it. We both thought it was just beautiful even though the rude boys in the neighborhood relentlessly teased me about it. Just know that I'm pretty sure I have large leg calfs to this day from riding that broken down thing.
I also felt a surge of gratitude for Ron. He works so hard and takes care of me so wonderfully well. I am a very blessed woman indeed!

The Best Thing

Grandpa spent yesterday working on our new updated kitchen! He is the best thing that has ever happened to me!

Gold Fish

I woke up this morning at 6:30 thinking about giving our "alms" in secret, and the blessings that gives, when I was struck with the thought that our Lord is the greatest example of this as He is in all things! He quietly and anonymously gives us our daily breath, and so many millions of tender mercies that most of us never notice.

I thought that we are all like little ungrateful goldfish in a bowl, who complain about the terribly frightening and inconvenient changes of water each day. Yet, those very water changes give the gold fish a clean environment and fresh oxygen, without which they would soon die. The flakes of "manna" fish food that rain down on them daily is merely eaten as their due, without a glance upward of thanks or gratitude or understanding from whence they came!

I am filled with gratitude this morning for my Savior! I want to spend the day looking up --- and maybe I will see a tiny glimpse of his hand sprinkling down blessings!