FAITHFUL EFFORT

Father, Where Shall I Work Today?

“Father, where shall I work today?”
And my love flowed warm and free.
Then he pointed out a tiny spot
And said, “Tend that for me.”
I answered quickly, “Oh no, not that!
Why, no one would ever see,
No matter how well my work was done.
Not that little spot for me.”
And the word he spoke, it was not stern;…
“Art thou working for them or for me?
Nazareth was a little place,
And so was Galilee.”

(Meade MacGuire, “Father, Where Shall I Work Today?” in Best-Loved Poems of the LDS People, comp. Jack M. Lyon and others (1996), 152.)

A father never wants to hear their child say of themselves that they are worthless. A child who thinks of themselves as worthless may be listening to others who brag of their looks, fortune, or social status. Comparing oneself with flashy, loud, and teasing bystanders will never define a person’s worth.

One day, a potted plant quietly sat at its spot on the window sill. The plant said to itself, as it looked out upon the garden, “I’m worthless. All the garden flowers are brightly colored and laugh together as they dance in the summer breeze. I’m never visited by a single bee and will never bear any fruit. I just sit here alone, day after day, and will never accomplish anything.”

The plant continued to mournfully compare itself to those of the outside garden, until early one morning. The plant could see, as the sunlight chased away the night’s darkness, how the once festive garden was now covered in snow…deep cold snow. The plant suddenly realized it had taken for granted the warming sunlight, steady watering, and attention it had received from two gentle hands.

Perhaps the potted plant in the window would never realize what great joy it brought to the elderly widow who cared for it. Perhaps it would never know why the widow would sing the same sweet love song while pouring water upon it from an antique pitcher. Perhaps it would never understand the memories it stirred each time those two gentle hands would feed and care for it. Perhaps…perhaps one day.

Our personal influence on others is immeasurable. Just being in a person’s life may become the most cherished experience of your life, and theirs. So smile, be cheerful, and give thanks. Life is not an accident. Where you are matters. The God of Heaven has placed you where He needs you. You are on a covenant path with Him. Press forward on your shared covenant path!

God Will Exalt Your Faithful Effort

[This blog represents my personal views and is not an official site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.]