amazing service

This happened a few days ago, but I wanted to share this story. I haven't blogged in so long, it's like the dams have burst and now I have to get all my blogging out! So tolerate frequent updates until I've gotten it all out of my system. :o)

Last week, my mother was out of town for her uncle's funeral. I think for a normal family, this would have been fine, but my family--my parents, my husband and I--work together every day to care for my terminally ill brother. Having just one member of our team missing can be a big deal.

Fortunately, even though my father and husband had work and my mother was out at the funeral, I had one precious resource to call on: my visiting teachers. For those who don't know, visiting teachers are kind of a trademark of the Mormon church. Every woman in the Church is assigned two visiting teachers, who come visit her once a month with a spiritual message and an offer of service. Typically, I can't think of any particular ways for my visiting teachers to serve me, but this time, I could. I asked them if they wouldn't mind taking turns stopping by the house in the afternoon, to help me move my brother out of his wheelchair. Since my brother is as big as I am, and also I'm five and a half months pregnant, it's not that easy to just lift him out of his giant wheelchair and position him safely and comfortably in his hospital bed or armchair.

Fortunately, my amazing VTs stepped in to save the day. On Friday, one of my VTs (we'll call her Terry) stopped by to help me move J. He had soaked through his diaper and all his clothing, and he just looked miserable. When we started to move him, he started to cry, so I ended the operation and tube-fed him some pain meds. We waited for a minute and then moved him to the hospital bed in the living room.

I told Terry, I can't change J anymore. I'm pregnant, and I know for a fact he harbors diseases that could kill my baby. Immediately, Terry offered to do it. I was amazed. Changing the diaper of a grown man is unpleasant in the best of circumstances, but on top of that my brother's hamstring contracture means you have to change him while his knee is essentially glued to his torso. And again, he's kind of disease-riddled.

But she just did it. She did it all. She changed him, and together we cleaned him and changed all his clothes--again, a difficult task when the guy is 5'4 and hypotonic and has a knee practically glued to his chest. But we did it all. He helped us get his shirt on, too. It was a really interesting moment: Terry seemed so happy to be able to provide that service for J, and J seemed so happy to be able to provide service for us, even if it was only in the form of him pointing his arms so his sleeves would go on better.

After he was all set, the three of us just sat together for a while. It was a unique moment. I've thought about it a lot since, and about the importance of service, and how even when service isn't very fun or enjoyable, it's always rewarding when it's been given with a cheerful heart.

Anyway, that experience really touched me and I wanted to share it with you. I think I learned from J that anyone can serve--even the most handicapped kid around can help get his arms into sleeves--and that service happily given is the best kind of gift around. I am so grateful for my amazing visiting teachers!