What is Charity?

“Charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (Moroni 7:45; see also 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I was asked to talk in Church with Ryan on Sunday. Our topic, charity. The talk he gave for me to read is by Elder Marvin J. Ashton "Love Takes Time."

http://lds.org/ensign/1975/11/love-takes-time?lang=eng&query=love+takes+time

This is an incredible talk that I highly recommend reading! I've found that I've thought about how I can become more charitable these last few weeks. I've noticed others performing loving acts of kindness. In this talk by Elder Ashton I find that love truly takes time to show. I agree with the statement, "Love is not a convenience." I honestly can't help but thinking of my husband the whole time I read this talk. He could be studying 24/7 for dental school but instead he takes time to show that he loves me. He made me dinner yesterday since he got home from school before I got home from work. In the mornings I go down to find that he's got breakfast on the table and my lunch made. It doesn't matter if he's got a big test that day or he's supposed to study. He lives to serve. True love is inconvenient. When your running late to work or are very busy it is our natural instinct to go about are own way without noticing peoples needs around us. The trick to trying to love as Christ loves is ALWAYS giving time for those around us.

He mentions,"We need not weary in well-doing when we understand God's purposes and his children." I think this is true. It's a good statement to take time and self reflect. Do you get tired of well-doing? How can you come to understand God's purposes more fully for all his children all around you? It's almost like you need to change your way of thinking. I heard a RS lesson once from my roommate Marisa Garret and she said something that will stick with me forever. She said, "The morning time take care of your needs, get ready, exercise, plan your day but once you leave your house your day now is for others." Don't take the time to be worried about what you look like during the day because you already had the time for yourself in the morning. Look around you and see who has God put in my path that day that I can love and help?

I think about what a day for parents is like. Great parents live to serve their family. I had a great example of this growing up. My parents would wake up, quickly shower, and start to serve us by going to work, fixing our meals, getting us ready, and taking the time to listen to what we had to say. Fathers and mothers do everything they can to provide for them and teach them. The small things like playing with your children, complimenting them, teaching them, are all very important for a child to feel loved. No wonder why the family is the basic unit of the church. We came here to become like God. What a better teaching opportunity than giving us children to look after and love. The walls of our own homes is the perfect set up to help us develop charity by loving the people in our home.

I am not perfect and definitely know I have a far way to go. I love life because it is here to provide us with opportunities to learn to love. I am SO excited to have this baby, gift from God, come into our lives. This will help me learn more about love :)

I hope we can take the opportunity whatever our circumstance may be and once we are ready for the day forget ourselves.