Handouts

I've been thinking about doing this blog post for about a month now.  I have finally decided to do it. 

If you follow my blog, you know that I gave a lesson (workshop) on receiving personal revelation at our Super Saturday type Relief Society meeting back in November.  Well, the next day during our regular Sunday Relief Society lesson, the teacher made a snide remark about handouts and how they are not necessary when teaching a lesson.  Basically she was dissing my handouts I gave out at my lesson the previous day.  Yes, she was in attendance and did receive the handouts.  I think she was just trying to make herself feel better for not ever doing handouts.  I personally don't care whether she does handouts or not.  And, she was right, handouts are not necessary.  But I think they add to the lesson and I enjoy going the extra mile when I prepare and teach.  To each their own.  Thankfully, I am not easily offended.  But everybody agreed that it was rude and unnecessary.  It was obviously directed at me. But I just let it roll off me like water on a duck.

Normally I would not post this story to my blog but there's a reason I'm telling this story.  To illustrate a point.  So here's the rest of the story and the point I want to make.

So, two or three weeks later I received an e-mail from our Relief Society President.  She asked me if I had any more handouts left over from my lesson, and if so if I could bring them to church for a lady who was requesting extra handouts.

I thought this was a bit of an odd request but, sure, we had extra handouts and would be happy to bring them.  Not thinking much of it, I had Mom and Lisa find and gather up three sets of extra handouts to bring to church the following day.

When we arrived, the sister that requested the handouts was waiting for us in the second row.  We always sit in the first row with wheelchair cutouts as that is the only place my wheelchair will fit.  She introduced herself and told me that the handouts I made changed her life.  I thought this was just a nice exaggeration.  Then mom arrived and I told her that this was the sister requesting the handouts and she gave them to her.  She was so happy. She wanted to share the handouts with her family members.

Apparently she was not even in attendance at my lesson/workshop.  But I guess her diligent visiting teacher -- or I should say ministering sister -- took an extra hand out to give to her.  She didn't even know about the flower pens.  She wanted to put them in a vase on the podium.  :-) Only later did she realize they were pens.  :-)

Anyway she was very appreciative.  I was happy that the handouts made her so happy.  And I thought that was it.  Then, during Relief Society, this sister made a comment during the lesson about my handouts and how they changed her life.  Then I realized that the handout really did make a big impact on her life. This is why she wanted to give extra handouts to her family members.

This is when I thought about how we should always follow promptings and personal revelation.  I was inspired to put those quotes on pretty paper and laminate them to hand out to the sisters at my lesson.  Granted, it wasn't my handout that changed this sister's life.  It was the quote by our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson.  I was merely the vehicle that made it possible for her to read the Prophet's words.

But, nonetheless, in this case, those unnecessary handouts changed someone's life for the better.

To emphasize the point, this same sister, at our last Fast and Testimony Meeting, also mentioned me by name and the handout and the impact it had on her life.  I give credit to the prophet but it's nice to be an instrument in the Lord's hands in helping somebody progress of the covenant path.

This is an example of seeing the fruits of your labors.  In someone else's opinion, my handouts were unnecessary.  But because I listened to the promptings of the Spirit and followed through, someone's life was impacted for good.

We don't always see the fruits of our labors or understand why we are prompted to do certain things.  And we will often face discouragement or persecution for striving to live a Christlike life on the covenant path.  But it's little things like this example that remind us to keep enduring and doing what the Lord would have us do.

That's my two cents.

For the curious, these are the life-changing quotes I put on my front and back laminated handout: