Sometimes, seldom it seems, you get something right. So often with church service I have a difficult time determining my effectiveness. I do what I can, but that doesn't mean that what I can do makes a difference to anyone. It's still good though, because it makes me a better person and all that. It is good to know sometimes that you actually accomplished something.
Yesterday I went to visit someone from church, let's call her Janie. I have a list of 7 women that I've been asked to keep in contact with every month. Janie is one of the 7 and I felt an urgency about visiting her yesterday. So my enduring friend Ashley went with me to visit Janie (Ashley has her own separate list of women to visit, she's awesome like that). No one was home. So I put a note by the door and left wondering what more I could do to make contact and why did I feel so compelled with no result?
This morning I received a strange voicemail from someone who didn't even know how to pronounce my name. It was a friend of Janie's. My impressions to find out how she was were needed. She has been in the hospital for the last week and couldn't contact anyone from church because her cell phone died. Not to mention the fact that she's been sleeping and getting well. By leaving the note at Janie's door last night I gave her friend a contact to call. Thankfully I called Janie at the hospital just in time to give her a ride home and to get her prescriptions filled.
My mommy instincts made it hard for me to just leave Janie at home with all those pills to take and trauma to overcome. But others at church now know too, care about her, and will keep an eye on her. Besides, my mommy instincts were needed at home.
It feels good to make a difference. (sorry for the tootin')
Don't be sorry for the tootin'! Think of it as being an inspiration for me (and all of us) to listen more carefully for the Spirit's promptings.
Posted by: Julie P | August 25, 2009 at 07:49 AM
Its so nice to have those results immediately. It helps to keep doing it even when we don't get them.
Posted by: readerMom | August 25, 2009 at 02:09 PM
SEVEN! I will stop my inward moaning about the 3 I have. Wow. Seven! You must be super dooper visitor to get that many. Way to be!
Posted by: Lu | August 26, 2009 at 12:14 AM
Lu, I'm no super dooper anything. Here in 'no mormon land' it is the norm to have that many sisters to visit because there are so few who will accept a VT calling. Half of the sisters on my list won't return my calls and/or don't want anyone from church coming within 20 ft of their home, so I get off easy by sending letters to them. All is well in Zion, or so they tell me.
Posted by: Jendoop | August 26, 2009 at 03:39 PM