"As we look heavenward, we inevitably learn of our responsibility to reach outward. To find real happiness, we must seek for it in a focus outside ourselves. No one has learned the meaning of living until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his fellow man. Service to others is akin to duty, the fulfillment of which brings true joy. We do not live alone in our city, our nation, or our world. There is no dividing line between our prosperity and our neighbor's wretchedness. 'Love thy neighbor' is more than a divine truth. It is a pattern for perfection."
I don't know about you, but I LOVE the feeling I get after performing an act of service. I do not always enjoy what the service is, but it always seems to be worth it in the end. :) This evening, was yet another one of those great moments.
My ward went to the Hyrum Cemetery for our activity, where we cleaned headstones in preparation for Memorial day. I have participated in an activity like this a few times before, and it is always so great.
I personally am blessed by activities like this. My brother is burried in the Hyrum Cemetery and, Whenever I go do an activity there, I make sure I get over to my brothers grave and take a little while to tend his headstone. It provides a great opportunty to make sure it gets done.
It also makes me remember how absolutely blessed I am in my life. I am blessed with many wonderful people that I love and care about. and I am blessed with the knowledge of life after death. I know that God has a plan, and that death is a part of that. But I know that death is not the end, and that families can be together forever.
It always makes me so sad to see headstones of little babies and young children. Children who still had SO MUCH living to do. To think of their families left behind to griev(well, it's that way with every headstone) But there are so many who lived only a day, or a week, or a few years. In all of our cleaing, my friends Lexi, Kendra, Mariana and I found a little cluster of 4 headstones that all looked alike, and had the same last name. They were all babies. The one that lived the longest lived 11 months. How hard would that be?!?
And then, you have the headstones of the men and women who lived to be 80 years old or so!! I found one headstone, where both the wife and the husband were burried in the same spot and their information was on the same headstone. They were only seperated by death for 4 months!! I think it would be so hard for the family left behind, but can you imagine how wonderful it would be to be reunited so quickly?! What a blessing!
Like I said, I always make my way over to my brothers grave to clean it when I get up there with something like that. He's kinda out in the outskirts of the cemetery, so its a bit of a walk to get there from where we parked today. I convinced 3 of my friends to come over with me and we spent our time cleaning the headstones in the farther out area of the Cemetery whee most people don't get to.
We had the wonderful opportunity while we were there, to meet a few people that had come to visit their loved ones. We cleaned the headstones for them, and it was so great to see the instant gratification!!!!!
I am so grateful for all of the knowledge and comfort the Gospel brings into our lives, and the blessings that come from Serving others!
My hands still smell like vinegar, my arms are sore, and the knees of my pants are all dirty, But we had some good laughs, ate yummy food, and were blessed by serving others! :)
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