One by One

I was walking the four little boys to school on Monday morning.  It was such a nice day that I thought I’d let my three year old tag along.  However, my seven year old son, Hyrum, was slower than the three year was, as he kept bending over and picking things up out of the gutter.  As we got to the school, he bent over again, and Eve (the three year old) and I watched as he grabbed a slimy, wiggly worm off of the sidewalk and put it in the garden bed.  I then understood what had grabbed his attention all the way to school.  It had rained the night before and there were tons of new little worms in the gutter.

What’s fun, is that he is my child with autism and extreme sensory issues (he’s just started putting ketchup on his fries).  While Eve backed away as he displayed the worm in his fingers, Hyrum proclaimed, “It’s so cute!  Worms don’t have eyes or a nose, just a big mouth!”

As Eve and I walked home, we passed more worms.  I didn’t want her to be grossed out, so I would occasionally pick one up and show her up close.  In honor of Hyrum, we picked up a few more and put them on the nearby lawns.  However, I couldn’t help but think of Hyrum as our Savior, ministering to each one of us, individually.

I try to follow this example and minister to those I serve “one by one.”  I definitely don’t get it right all the time with my children, but I know that this is when they feel the most love from me.

I seem to quote President Uchtdorf a lot, but this quote is so fitting for this posting:

 . . . I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day. When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time.

I wonder if the key is “[knowing] the infinite value of the people [I meet].”  Hyrum saw the value in each “cute” worm that he rescued.  Stop and ponder on the infinite value of those that you are serving… especially your own children.  It has made a difference for me this week.