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I'm not even sure how to title this blog post. As we were sitting in the Huntsman Center waiting for Erik's graduation to start, my mom and dad came in and sat down one on either side of me with a story to tell.
They had decided to stop and eat at Chuck-a-rama in American Fork. They walked in to see my two cousins Craig and Tim (brothers) there, both living in Vernal. Craig was my age and we were quite close growing up. Tim was number 5 of 6, the 4th boy and not someone I really knew at all. He was the forgotten child who didn't seem to amount to much growing up. He had older brothers who kind of stole the spotlight and a younger brother who was the baby.
As my parents chatted, Tim brought up the fact that my oldest, Kiersten was getting married. He then said what a great mom I was and took a $100 bill out of his wallet and slid it across the table. "Give this to Miss to help with wedding expenses."
My parents were flabbergasted and tried to give him some change, but there was nothing more to do other than hand it over to me when they saw me.
Now, what do you do? What do I do? How do you thank such generosity? Who carries around a $100 bill in their wallet? And who has the sudden thought to give it to a cousin they barely know? And how would he have known he would run into my parents on that particular day?
I sat there stunned as the emotions took over. The world is full of such good, giving people. I want to be one of them who doesn't blink an eye about giving of my substance, my time, my self.
Tim and I now have a special relationship in my heart unbeknownst to even him. I will always remember him for his Christlike thoughtfulness who followed through on a thought he had.
Here's one of the best descriptions of charity that I've come across:
When asked to define charity, many people say something like "service" or "loving others." Although such acts may be a result of charity, they are not what true charity means.
Charity is a small English word that encompasses a large heavenly concept.
Originally the word was agape, which is Greek for "the fatherly love of God for humans and their reciprocal love for God." Nearly all places in the English New Testament where the charity occurs, it is translated from agape --God's love for us, and our love for Him in return.
The Book of Mormon uses it the same way: "And again, I remember that thou hast said that thou [Jesus] hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world. . . . And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity" (Ether 12:33-34, emphasis added).
If you read carefully, you will find that these two definitions of charity -- God/Christ loving us and us loving God/Christ -- fit how charity is used in the scriptures. You could say the requirements are, "faith, hope, and love of God" instead of "faith, hope, and charity." Alma used it this way when he said, "Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts" (Alma 13:29).
Charity is a heavenly relationship between us and God the Father, made possibly by applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. Anything -- whether is be taking the sacrament, studying scriptures, going to the temple, reading a patriarchal blessing, praying, and so forth -- that helps us feel the love of God has for us as His children, and that causes us to love Him in return, helps us earn the all-important credential of charity. . . .
[A]cting in faith produces personal hope, which leads us to taste of charity, which causes us to love others with an eye single to the glory of God. These qualities each build upon one another and are centered on the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Anthony Sweat, Suit Up, "The Essential Credientials")
