So my next door neighbor, the one who hates me and my other neighbor (and seminary teaching partner) decided to build onto the house. I noticed a couple months ago a little old man puttering about the property sprucing things up. I actually started having fantasies that it was getting polished up to sell. The couple that lives there seem to have an on again off again relationship and she had been off - as of late. I assumed it was the owners father to help him with the kids and such. After a month of this little old man pulling every last weed out of the front yard, all kinds of heavy equipment arrived on scene and started tearing it all up and forms were laid. Hmmm. What is all this about? More driveway perhaps?
Well, last week after a morning seminary meeting at my house my partner and I noticed the little old man outside when we went to take a closer peak at what was going on over there. We had a lovely conversation with what turned out to be the owners grandfather. He indeed moved in to help around the house and with the kids. He mentioned several times what a wonderful person his grandson was. I'm sure he is, I just haven't witnessed it :0) Anyway, what was he building? A house! Right on the front of the existing one, complete with a garage. We all can't figure out why they wouldn't build a guest house in the backyard, but whatever. I'm a little bummed that my house will be completely blocked from view now because of it, but there's nothing I can do about it.
This afternoon I went to lay down because I had close to zero amount of sleep last night. I heard something driving and beeping around in the backyard. What now? Another house in the back? Turns out the neighbor on the other side is doing some work back there and they spent the day grading the backyard. There are also two houses being built a couple more houses up the road. Some days you can hardly drive down the street with all the construction vehicles.
Apparently construction is contagious. When you see your neighbor making improvements it gets your wheels turning or your motivation level turned up so as not to miss out on the fun of beautifying your property. It's a kind of positive peer pressure -when not taken to extremes.
Noticing this contagion got me thinking about something that has been going on with me lately. For some unknown reason I've had deep feelings of love for another family in my ward. At first I thought it was for something that I needed help with and then I realized that it was because there was something that I needed to do. This is the kind of love you only feel for family members. It's the kind that makes you offer to do things for them that you would never offer anyone else because you lack the time and energy. You allow them to take more than they give because you know you need to. I have been putting the mother of this family on the prayer roll at the temple and praying and praying over how I can reach out and connect with her. I've been waiting for a door to open. My way in. Miracle of miracles, it finally happened. The cool thing is that when the door opened, I knew it was the Lord's doing because of the circumstances.
I love how Elder Bednar always reminds that this gospel is all about the one. The Savior was all about the one. If everyone did their part to help change the life of 1 person, think of where we would be. Sometimes we like to think too big. We want to change the whole world. Well, we only need to change 1 person and it starts with ourselves and then "when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Luke 22:32
As I was reading the first presidency message in the February Ensign by President Eyring I realized something. There was an explanation for these feelings of love. He said:
"The Lord taught us that when we are truly converted to His gospel, our hearts will be turned from selfish concerns and turned toward service to lift others as they move upward to eternal life. To obtain that conversion, we can pray and work in faith to become the new creature made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
We can start by praying for the faith to repent of selfishness and for the gift of caring for others more than ourselves. We can pray for the power to lay aside pride and envy.
Prayer will be the key as well for receiving the gift of a love for the word of God and for the love of Christ (see Moroni 7:47–48). The two come together. As we read, ponder, and pray over the word of God, we will come to love it. The Lord puts it in our hearts. As we feel that love, we will begin to love the Lord more and more. With that will come the love for others that we need in order to strengthen those whom God puts in our path."
The thing is. It's hard to upset your life to do things for other people. Especially hard and time consuming things. What makes it less hard? Feelings of love. Suddenly our capacity to care and help increases when we are motivated by love.
We are all a work in progress - in the midst of construction. When our neighbors see the progress of our changes, they become curious. What contractor did you use? How long did the process take? Do you have any recommendations... and before long, they are in the midst of their own construction process.
All this work that I'm doing on myself. This trying to fill the measure of my creation. It is for exactly this purpose. To be an instrument in the Lord's hands. To give back to the giver of perfect love. To show my love and gratitude by helping another along the path. Which makes me think of a scripture mastery verse from the Doctrine and Covenants. It's section 18:
15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people ( I would also include looking for ways to lift. Real ways. Time consuming ways to lift those around us. Basically taking them on as an apprentice. Laboring all your days.) and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him (the friend you labored with) in the kingdom of my Father!
16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!
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