Sick and Teething

It's been crazy around here lately! The boys both got sick two weeks ago. And Dustin decided to get two new teeth at the same time. So it's been grumpy/crazy time for us. But they're better now (although Dustin is now getting at least one more tooth and maybe an ear infection). So we're not 100% happy, but we're better.

Different times in life seem to resonate a different lesson for us to learn. Right now I feel my life is full of service. Service done for others as well as service given to myself. Sometimes it's harder for us to accept help from others than it is to offer our service. Even though we're barely surviving the lack of sleep that comes with teething, there's always time to help those around us. Because we all have hard times, we all could use a hand from time to time. And sometimes that person offering you their service is the Lord's way of showing his love and care for us.

While preparing for a funeral for a lady in the ward, one of her pre-teen granddaughters offered several times to help out. At first we insisted we had everything taken care of, but eventually she was given the simple task of rolling silverware in napkins. As we worked, we talked and she eventually turned to me and said "Thanks for letting me do this. I cried yesterday and I just didn't want to again today. I just couldn't sit in that room (where the viewing was taking place) any more." 

What a profound lesson for a 7th grader to have learned! I can think of no better way to forget your own worries than to loose yourself in service. Could we have rolled the napkins ourself? Yes. Would it have been more pretty? Yes, but that wasn't the need. The Lord needed this 7th grader to be distracted from her sorrow.

As serving in the Relief Society I have noticed small promptings of needs to help. Although I've never questioned doing these acts of service for my family and friends, I've previously hesitated to do this for those I am not close to. I feel shy to share my help, worrying that I will offend. Or the call for service comes at an inconvenient time. But if we are doing our best to care for those around us as we would our parents, children, or grandparents, we in turn will be taken care of in our times of need. There always seems to be more time in the day when some of it is spent serving those around us.

So here's hoping the teething will end soon (yeah right, they teeth non stop until 3…). But until then, at least we'll have some fun along the way! We have 3 play dates set up for the next two weeks, so at least Logan will have some fun times. Since I stopped doing day care, he has missed playing with friends two days a week.