Moving has been an amazing testimony-builder.
Last Saturday, 30 members of our ward (and a few of Steve's cycling buddies) showed up at our house to move us to our new home. 30!!! I was blown away by the turn-out, but also touched when I saw the way that everyone worked happily together. I stopped to snap a few photos, and I'm glad that I did, because I was able to capture the smiles on the faces of those who were joyfully serving together.
These wonderful friends, moved us into our new house in just 2.5 hours. It was so incredible. There was lots of laughter and happy conversation. There were two "bucket-lines" formed - one coming down from the second floor. The other coming up from the basement to the truck. Everyone knew their job and did it...and seemed so fulfilled.
The spirit let me know that I should take note...that this is the Priesthood in action...men and women working together to lighten each other's load. Although most of the movers were men, there were women who also helped move and who watched our children and the children of the movers so that the husbands in the family could steal away for the morning to help our family. This is how the priesthood works. This is the way that God intends for us to go through life...not struggling alone in our work, but doing it together with joy.
This Christlike service was amazing in and of itself. But what made it even more amazing was that I know that many of those who helped us that morning, didn't stop there. They went home and served their families. Then some of these same people came back and brought us a meal. And that same family also, went to a neighbor's farm to help him do farm work because the father in that family had suffered an aneurism and was unable to do his farming. The neighbors in that area have been doing this man's farming for five weeks now. This same service-oriented family also babysat for relatives that evening...they just never quit. And they will never quit being blessed either.
More details to come on our moving experience...right now, I've got boxes to unpack!
By the way, this was post #1,000...woohoo! The Gospel is true!
I think this is one of the things I absolutely love about our church! Everyone works together when a member is in need. We have helped move, clean, cook and watch children because we know that one day when we need that same help, there will be many waiting with smiling faces. The gospel of Jesus Christ is alive in our community of faithful members and in turn we are able to influence so many! Beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that! I think watching Mormons move is like the best MormonAd we could ever produce! :) ha ha!
DeleteOh and just had to add that the two gentlemen who came from Steve's cycling group are very active in their churches and worked SO hard. Great examples of living the gospel of Jesus Christ to bear one another's burdens.
DeleteI love to see the gospel in action, and this is a great example. Thanks!
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Wow! That is awesome. We have been on both ends. Lots of help (our last move thankfully!!) and very little help (many of our previous moves), I prefer lots of help.=) Have missed you!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's not always perfect, but we have a perfect plan, if we follow it! Thanks for thinking of me! Still have lots of work ahead of me...and I'm sure Steve is going to come home tonight and be like...what? You blogged???! :) ha ha!
DeleteSo inspiring! Happy unpacking!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI will always so indebted to the people who have helped us move (especially the few who have condescended to help us clean, now that's going the extra mile!). I admit with 15 moves over the past 7 years we've been on the receiving end way more than our share, but I like to think that in a way I am allowing others to be blessed through their service. You can bet though that whenever there is someone who needs help moving we are the first to volunteer. Gotta pay it forward (or backward, or whatever)!
ReplyDeleteStill, I have to admit, I've never had 30 people show up and if I did I don't know what I'd do with them, but then again with all those moves we don't accumulate much, plus we're probably not as popular as you. ;)
I am grateful for the organization of the Church that gives us all opportunities to follow Christ's example and serve others. I am equally grateful how that same organization creates a net to catch us wherever we land, supplying perfect strangers with ready hands and willing hearts, and hooking us up with new friends and acquaintances who share the same beliefs and values. I love this Church!
Well-said, Laura! I will say that Steve has helped a lot of people move over the last five years...and people around here just have big hearts. I failed to mention that my visiting teacher and other women did help me clean on Friday. It has been light work, but just fun to have female companionship through the cleaning...ya know? a beautiful thing is the Relief Society and the bond of women in church service!
DeleteI love the picture that shows some of your food storage. Our last 2 moves have been with professionals, and they do not like seeing all of our food storage.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome inspiring post and the pictures were great. It's that priesthood power and wonderul sisterhood that brings such blessings into our lives. We have moved over 22 times and have been greatly blessed to have good people there to assist both moving out and moving in.
ReplyDeleteLove this one and blessing to you all during this move.
haha...you just gave me another reason to move!! Thx, Jbird.
ReplyDeleteYou can come rent the house next to us...it's for sale but they took it off the market because it didn't sell.
Deletethis is when the gospel really comes alive...
ReplyDeleteMy daughters and I no longer have the priesthood in our home, but they treat us like queens when we need to move. We have moved four times in the last seven years, and I was never able to count how many people came to help - but we were moved in less than two hours every time. Smiles all around, and an overwhelming feeling of peace and happiness for me. I am SO grateful for my membership in the Church!
ReplyDeleteWow progress, enjoy the new home!
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing to have a ward family who is so willing to serve!
ReplyDeleteThis post reminds me of when we moved about 4 years ago. We lived in Ohio for grad school and were there 4 years. My husband was the EQ President when were there. Every weekend there was a move (or so it seemed) and he was almost always there. When we left out little apartment we had close to 50 people there to help and more came back the next morning to clean. Men were every where passing boxes and furniture, organizing the truck, and laughing all the while. Children were playing in the empty basement and women were cleaning- cleaning every centimeter of that place! and talking and laughing and crying. I was so overwhelmed by the love and help that I just couldn't absorb it all until the drive out and then I lost it. 50 people. (or more... I lost count) Love was flowing out the windows of our apartment. I felt so undeserving of the help yet so grateful they were there. As I thought about the experience a month or so later, I realized that must be a very small portion of the love and gratitude we will feel for our Savior when we meet Him again some day. We will stand so undeserving before Him and so grateful He has cleaned every part of us and loved us more than we know yet how to feel.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the long comment--it just brought back so many wonderful memories :) What an exciting thing you are doing in organizing your new place of refuge!
That was a great comment and testimont, Angie. Thank you for helping me to gain an even deeper understanding of this experience. That really touched me!
DeleteThis reminds me of Elder Ballard's talk on "Be Anxiously Engaged" from the October 2012 General Conference. Thanks for an excellent example of what he was speaking about! Good luck with unpacking, organizing, and caring for your family. :)
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