Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Serving Others with Quality

I remember one day, about 20 years ago, when my car broke down in the middle of a busy road. My home teacher, Randy Reynolds, came and helped me tow the car back to my house. Then, after we were done assessing the needed repairs, he said, "I need to make an appointment to come home teach your family."

I was at a loss for words. What do you call the 'rescue effort' you just did? Isn't seeing to the temporal needs of your families, especially in urgent situations, considered good home teaching? Perhaps, but he didn't want to stop there. He wanted to give my family a spiritual lesson. Towing the car home wasn't enough for him. Randy was a faithful home teacher, coming every month with a lesson prepared. This was in addition to the acts of service he performed.

What I learned from Randy is what being generous in our service is all about.

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38).

I particularly like this scripture, because I know how to bake bread, and I understand the details of what the Savior meant. When you measure a cup of flour as part of a recipe, you don't "press down" the flour, or sift it, or shake it together. That would change the volume of flour and ruin the recipe. And you skim off the top of the cup so the measurement is precise.

But my home teacher, following the Savior's example, gave generously... pressed down, shaken together, and running over. And as the scripture states, with the same generosity he gave, it shall be given to him. I hope to always follow the example of Randy Reynolds, one of the best home teachers ever.



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