Everything
for God and Family
What matters most in my life? What motivates my actions? When I think about
a life motto, this is what I believe: I will give everything to serve my God
and my family. I don’t know if this motto was ingrained in me by the teachings
of my parents, but I do know that over time it has grown to be everything to
me. I was a spirited little redhead that
loved to laugh and play with my friends; however, what I loved the most was
being in the refuge of my home. It was there
that I learned, at the knees of my parents, who God is and how much He loves
me. I saw how my parents served God and
their fellow-men, and loved those whom they served. I am thankful for the relationships with my
siblings, who have become my best friends. The example of my family has been
worth more than anything else in the world.
One particularly low day, when I was a teenager, I came
home from school crying that I didn’t feel I had any friends. My mother hugged
me and let me know she loved me, and then she taught me a lesson that changed
my life. She said, “Maryann, everyone at
school is waiting for someone to smile at them and say hello. They need a friend
just as much you.” The Savior is always reaching out to us, and I knew this was
what I needed to do. So I made it my
goal to smile and be kind to everyone around me, even if I didn’t feel I had a
close friend. By the end of my high
school experience, I no longer felt friendless. When I forgot myself and shared
the light within me, I could add light to the lives of my peers. When I loved and served them, the love and
light grew within me.
Soon I came upon a new phase of life, adulthood with
parenthood. I have been tested, but as I
live by my motto of giving everything to serve God and my family, I feel I have
purpose and direction in my life. As a
young mother I gave my all as I changed diapers, washed clothes, made meals,
and cleaned the ever-dirty home. I can’t
say how many nights of sleep have been disrupted by children, or how many
spills and accidents I have cleaned up, but I have gave and give continually to
my family and God. I sacrifice my own personal desires for them. Yet with all
the sacrifice and work, I love more than I have ever loved. I trust God more
than I ever did as a youth. I find myself expanding in abilities. There have been nights when I have rocked a
baby or sang a lullaby and my heart expanded with love and gratitude for the
precious gift of motherhood.
Motherhood has taken me farther in living my service to
God and family. The funny thing is that
the line between serving God and serving my family seems to be fading. As I serve and love my family, I know I am
also serving God. I believe that loving and serving God and our families with
all our hearts will bring us pure happiness; we will better understand the potential
we have in life. I will continue serving
God with all my might, and loving and serving my family with all my heart. When
I growing up, my Grandmother always said, “Family is everything,” and I know “when
ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your
God” (Mosiah 2:17). This I is my belief and the motto that I live by.
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