MINISTERING TO THE ONE
Hi for those of you that don’t know me, my name is Mya McGavock. I am an 8th grader at Chilton Middle School. I’m really happy to be back to in-person church and to be able to see all of my favorite families again.
Today I want to talk to you about ministering to the one. My mom and I were just recently watching a church video on this very topic. It was about a group of men that ministered to one of their friends after his son had passed away. One of the things that stood out to me in this video was that one of the men said, “we knew how to minister to him because we were his friend first.” When we take the time to get to know others around us, we are able to minister to them in more natural and personal ways. As I thought about this, I realized that, that has definitely been the case in my life as well.
I have always loved babysitting and I literally LOVE babysitting for all of my favorite families. You know who you are!
With permission from the Robisons I would like to share my experience with babysitting for their family. When Kate first asked me if I could babysit, I admit that I was a little nervous. I knew that their oldest son, Trevor didn’t talk and I was worried that I wouldn’t know how to communicate with him. What if he wanted or needed something and I couldn’t understand what he was trying to tell me? But with encouragement from my parents I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. As my visits with the Robisons increased, I got to know Trevor more and more. I learned what he likes and what he doesn’t like and I started understanding how he communicates. Eventually I realized that I was able to recognize HIS wants and needs just as easily as the other kids that communicated verbally. I know that Trevor loves bike rides and spinning things and back scratches and tickles. One day when I was at the store I saw one of those little wire head scratcher things and I thought, “Trevor would LOVE that!” and it put a smile on my face to think about how he would react the next time I went over and I put it on his head.
Sometimes at first ministering can feel overwhelming or intimidating. As I look back on my time with the Robisons I realize that if I had given into my feelings of self doubt, I would have missed out on a really special experience. Not only with Trevor but with Luke and Lydia too. I have so many pictures of them on my phone it isn’t even funny! And Kate has become a really good friend to me too. She talks to me about friends and life and gives me good advice on things. I realize that what started out as ME helping THEM has turned into THEM helping ME. I have learned a lot and have gotten to enjoy friendships that I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t go out of my comfort zone.
One of the best scriptures about ministering to the One is found in Matthew chapter 18 verse 12:
“If a man have an
hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and
nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray.”
I think every one of us at one time or another feels less like we’re part of the 99 and more like the ONE that is lost. It’s easy to overlook opportunities to smile at someone, or give a complement or write a nice text or comment on social media because these things may seem small and insignificant. But I can tell you that during times that I am feeling lost or alone those seemingly small and insignificant things have a powerful impact on me.
My mom recently started doing this thing where she would put a little treat and a note on mine and my brother’s beds for us to find when we got home from school. I know that she does this because she loves us, but I also think it might be because she’s glad we are back in school J I noticed that some days instead of a little note like the rest of us, one of us would get a longer more heartfelt note. I asked my mom “why did you write Jake a longer letter and not me?” She explained that it was because she knew I had had a good day but that Jake could use a few extra words of encouragement. And sure enough a few days later, when I was having a rough day, I was the one with a long letter of encouragement waiting for me on my bed.
When we are looking for opportunities to minister to others, it doesn’t always need to be fair or equal. There will be times that some need our help more than others. It is ok to focus our efforts where we know they are needed most.
I am grateful for the opportunities that I have had to minister to others and for the blessings that have come into my life by trying to be more like my Savior. I am also very grateful for those that have made efforts to minister to me.
I have a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel and especially of the Book of Mormon. I have felt it’s influence in my life and it helps me to know what to do in difficult situations. I have felt confidence in my choices as I strive to live by it’s teachings, even when it is not always popular. I know that as I draw closer to my Savior and continue learning more about Him, I will not fail.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
