M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

Chilly
By Vickey Pahnke-Taylor

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It was very cold. My hands were numb and my nose was feeling — well, I couldn't feel it at all. But my heart was very warm, as were the tears running down my cheeks.  We had taken a seemingly ordinary activity and watched it become life-changing for a few young men and women — maybe even a couple of leaders (maybe even myself).

It was nothing, really. Just a small service for a sweet old lady who could do very little for herself, but a whole lot for others. Though we went to serve her, we were the ones who received the loving service — from a gracious, valiant woman whose life experience and love shone through those eyes that could no longer see.

While a few of us looked forward to this activity, there were some who were cold to the idea. “Uncomfortable,” “boring,” “useless,” were a few of the words I heard quietly tossed around.

Funny — no one thought those things as we left the humble home of our aged neighbor. I would venture to say that, even on that cold, cold night every single soul was warm as toast — and a bit stronger in testimony of the blessings of the whole service concept.

As I write this article, I figure that there is no reason for me to elaborate on the lady, the circumstances, or any other details of the event. The feelings running through me are universal ones. Feelings of gratitude, humility, understanding, hope. They are feelings each of us gains when we participate in going outside of our schedule, our comfort zone, or our perceived abilities to do a little something for someone else. It is the concept that matters, not the particulars.

What a way to warm up — even when the temperatures or dispositions are chilly!

I have watched people who are uncomfortable around disabled folks. I have seen many of them have a change of heart — and grow in gratitude and love — toward these same folks once they have spent some time in service. Who was doing service for whom? Who benefited most?

I have seen young people wriggle with discomfort around old people. Depending upon the youth, that age might be 90 or 40! It warms my heart to watch the chill melt away, so to speak, when a young person realizes how much they can learn from — and enjoy — a friend whose earthly years have given them additional wisdom and greater love.

I have experienced for myself how worry becomes a relaxation of the soul once I have stepped away from my to-do list and engaged myself in the moment of something that comes up unexpectedly, offering a chance to live more fully and graciously. Not by the book, but by the Spirit. Heartwarming, no matter how chilly my mood began!

It has been said that we are “as young as our faith, as old as our doubt, as young as our self-confidence, as old as our fear, as young as our hope, as old as our despair” ( Ensign , November 1983, p.25). We may add that we are as young (and warm) as our desire to serve, and as old (and chilly) as our resistance to reach out.

King Benjamin spoke of our service to our fellow beings, and that when we serve them we are in the service of our God. Stepping outside ourselves and doing something for someone else, then, is a way of showing our Father in Heaven how much we love Him.

In the process, we grow in love for the people we are serving. And we gain all kinds of blessings, good feelings, and warmth inside these hearts of ours. What a deal!

Chilly? Pick up the phone and call an elderly family member or neighbor. Volunteer at an old folks home or retirement center. Work with a disabled group. Shovel snow, fix a meal, sit and listen as a lonely soul shares memories of his or her past. Read to someone who can no longer do for himself. Offer what you can of money, goods, or time to one who is in need of it.

But more importantly, offer something of the heart that warms another's — something given in the real spirit of love.

If this is something you already are doing, pray for additional insights as to how to better understand, love, or serve. Ask for greater capacity. Ask for a deeper understanding of “the pure love of Christ” (Read Moroni 7:47.)

Then, as President Spencer W. Kimball instructed, we can give as Christ gave:

Never did the Savior give in expectation. I know of no case in his life in which there was an exchange. He was always the giver, seldom the recipient… He gave of Himself, his love, his service, his life. The wise men brought him gold and frankincense. He gave them and all their fellow mortals resurrection, salvation, and eternal life.  We should strive to give as he gave. To give of oneself is a holy gift.

Of course, Christ's perfectly given gifts cannot be duplicated by us. But we can strive to duplicate the caring, the warmth, the desire to give from the heart. There is no chill that genuine, loving service cannot warm!

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