What do we offer? More than we might suppose.
Reading while visiting in Utah, I found a selection of essays, titled The Redeemer. In one of them, Camille Fronk talks about feeding the five thousand in John chapter 6, the lad who had five barley loaves and two small fishes. Jesus has been teaching a very large group of people who have followed him to the Sea of Galilee. They need to be fed.
She talks "first about the intent becoming known, looking for who has what to contribute--some might have said to themselves, I have enough to get by, but not more, not enough to contribute; some might have reasoned, I have enough to get by, so I will not expect more from anyone else. The lad simply volunteered what he had without waiting to see how it added up or whether it mattered, and the Lord turned that simple, forthright offer into a vast miracle."
Isn't it easy to say, what could I offer? Not enough to matter. Isn't it understandable to think, I don't need to bother anybody, I can get by? I won't be a burden even if I can't be a benefactor. But every offering can mean something, and everyone is invited to come and partake abundantly of the Father's gifts and blessings. He does not see us as burdens, but as beloved ones whom He "delights" to bless. (Doctrine & Covenants 41:1)
She says, "If we were possessed of the same attitude as this small lad, we would always be ready to say yes to the Lord, regardless of his request. Our inadequacies--lack of knowledge, skill, experience--would not prevent us from coming when he called. Then we, too, would see how the Lord would bless the meager contribution we are able to make (it is never anywhere near enough), magnify it, and use it to work mighty miracles in his name. When we hesitate to come when he calls, thinking we can somehow do it without him, or insisting we need more time to prepare, we may miss the opportunity that would have strengthened us in our fervent desires to become like him. (The Redeemer, p. 154, Deseret Book, 2000, various authors)
My sister Alison posted this. I have read this woman's story when she was starting on this journey of service halfway across the world--she presented it at BYU's Women's Conference several years ago. (That book, a compilation, is available here.) What this YouTube segment does not tell you is that she not only sold her house, but she put her job in jeopardy to make that first trip, and the next, and the next. The fashion house where she worked would not guarantee her position, she had to quit and return and reapply. This tells the story of her time and efforts in India, where she started out bringing medicine, addressing hunger in an orphanage in 1986. She saved up her own money all year, gave notice at her job, and went. Others joined in with funds when she returned from that first trip. The 1992 Church News report, on this Women's Conference presentation, related that her employer at that time gave her two six-week vacations a year for her trips, and keeps her on their roster happily. Whether she is in the same place still, I don't know, but it is apparent from the present video piece that she has not ceased her work. She has been awarded the medal of Chevalier of the National Order of Merit of France, received in 2010, and has made a bigger footprint in the world than she ever imagined possible.
Out of small and simple things are great things come to pass.
She talks "first about the intent becoming known, looking for who has what to contribute--some might have said to themselves, I have enough to get by, but not more, not enough to contribute; some might have reasoned, I have enough to get by, so I will not expect more from anyone else. The lad simply volunteered what he had without waiting to see how it added up or whether it mattered, and the Lord turned that simple, forthright offer into a vast miracle."
Isn't it easy to say, what could I offer? Not enough to matter. Isn't it understandable to think, I don't need to bother anybody, I can get by? I won't be a burden even if I can't be a benefactor. But every offering can mean something, and everyone is invited to come and partake abundantly of the Father's gifts and blessings. He does not see us as burdens, but as beloved ones whom He "delights" to bless. (Doctrine & Covenants 41:1)
She says, "If we were possessed of the same attitude as this small lad, we would always be ready to say yes to the Lord, regardless of his request. Our inadequacies--lack of knowledge, skill, experience--would not prevent us from coming when he called. Then we, too, would see how the Lord would bless the meager contribution we are able to make (it is never anywhere near enough), magnify it, and use it to work mighty miracles in his name. When we hesitate to come when he calls, thinking we can somehow do it without him, or insisting we need more time to prepare, we may miss the opportunity that would have strengthened us in our fervent desires to become like him. (The Redeemer, p. 154, Deseret Book, 2000, various authors)
My sister Alison posted this. I have read this woman's story when she was starting on this journey of service halfway across the world--she presented it at BYU's Women's Conference several years ago. (That book, a compilation, is available here.) What this YouTube segment does not tell you is that she not only sold her house, but she put her job in jeopardy to make that first trip, and the next, and the next. The fashion house where she worked would not guarantee her position, she had to quit and return and reapply. This tells the story of her time and efforts in India, where she started out bringing medicine, addressing hunger in an orphanage in 1986. She saved up her own money all year, gave notice at her job, and went. Others joined in with funds when she returned from that first trip. The 1992 Church News report, on this Women's Conference presentation, related that her employer at that time gave her two six-week vacations a year for her trips, and keeps her on their roster happily. Whether she is in the same place still, I don't know, but it is apparent from the present video piece that she has not ceased her work. She has been awarded the medal of Chevalier of the National Order of Merit of France, received in 2010, and has made a bigger footprint in the world than she ever imagined possible.
Out of small and simple things are great things come to pass.
She's an incredible woman.
ReplyDeleteI watched that video, and was absolutely flabbergasted!
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