are you being served?
i returned last night from a week long camping trip to southeastern new mexico. our church sponsors a boy scout troop, and i have been fortunate enough to have been invited to spend a week with these boys for each of the last 6 years. they are wonderful boys, and i am lucky to be included in their lives.
as a church sponsored activity, we try to infuse gospel-based themes and teaching into the activities of these trips. generally this takes the form of short, 15 to 20 minute devotional meetings each morning and evening. over the course of the week, the boys take turns sharing their knowledge of the gospel and its place in their lives. it is pleasing to listen and watch as they are growing into the men they will become. after the teaching from the individual, the adult leaders take the opprtunity to elaborate on the theme, and provide experiential counsel based on our adult lives.
friday night was our last night together, and the theme of the evening's discussion was "where will you be in the next five years?" after some replies from several of the boys, i offered my views. these boys range in age from 14 to 18 years old. i told them that in 5 years they should be home from a mission, on a mission, or preparing to go very shortly. marriage will be coming to many of them in the near future.
of course, they all replied that a full-time mission is paramount in their plans. statistics tell otherwise; but , i hope for these boys that they prove otherwise.
i have been fortunate to have had some rewarding experiences in my life. there are really only 2 or 3 things i've done that i truly regret...which is not too many. without a doubt, the thing i have done that has made the most difference in my life is being a full-time missionary for two years.
being a full time missionary made me grow in ways that are vastly more important than anything i could have learned or done in lieu of this service. i learned to rely on myself, i learned some self-discipline, i began to learn how to lead others to accomplish important tasks, and i learned how to interact with others in a more selfless way. more than anything else, i grew a strong testimony of christ and his church, and what he expects of me as a man in his service. these lessons will serve me for much longer than this lifetime.
it is a wonderful thing to serve others. it is not easy, but the feelings and knowledge it brings are invaluable. i look forward to the day my wife and i are ready to go on a mission together.
as a church sponsored activity, we try to infuse gospel-based themes and teaching into the activities of these trips. generally this takes the form of short, 15 to 20 minute devotional meetings each morning and evening. over the course of the week, the boys take turns sharing their knowledge of the gospel and its place in their lives. it is pleasing to listen and watch as they are growing into the men they will become. after the teaching from the individual, the adult leaders take the opprtunity to elaborate on the theme, and provide experiential counsel based on our adult lives.
friday night was our last night together, and the theme of the evening's discussion was "where will you be in the next five years?" after some replies from several of the boys, i offered my views. these boys range in age from 14 to 18 years old. i told them that in 5 years they should be home from a mission, on a mission, or preparing to go very shortly. marriage will be coming to many of them in the near future.
of course, they all replied that a full-time mission is paramount in their plans. statistics tell otherwise; but , i hope for these boys that they prove otherwise.
i have been fortunate to have had some rewarding experiences in my life. there are really only 2 or 3 things i've done that i truly regret...which is not too many. without a doubt, the thing i have done that has made the most difference in my life is being a full-time missionary for two years.
being a full time missionary made me grow in ways that are vastly more important than anything i could have learned or done in lieu of this service. i learned to rely on myself, i learned some self-discipline, i began to learn how to lead others to accomplish important tasks, and i learned how to interact with others in a more selfless way. more than anything else, i grew a strong testimony of christ and his church, and what he expects of me as a man in his service. these lessons will serve me for much longer than this lifetime.
it is a wonderful thing to serve others. it is not easy, but the feelings and knowledge it brings are invaluable. i look forward to the day my wife and i are ready to go on a mission together.
posted by cm at 6/18/2006
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