Greetings,
This morning I took my 3 oldest children and one of their friends to work at the Memphis Food Bank with about 15 other women from church. We separated unorganized frozen food from big watermelon boxes into smaller banana boxes according to categories. It was early and messy and my back hurt but it felt good to help. I was glad my kids had an opportunity to serve in their community. We have so much and there are so many who do without. The warehouse was in the ghetto. I was glad they got to see that too. But mostly it felt good to work hard shoulder to shoulder with women I love and respect. In the women's organization I serve in, The Relief Society, our motto is "Charity Never Faileth". I love that. It says it all. When you have charity, true compassionate love for another human being you become the vessel to share the love the world so desperately needs. It feels so good. If religion is the opium of the masses, hook me up. I love that through my many years in Relief Society service I have learned not to see people as the world sees them but as literal brothers and sisters of mine. If you look at people as family or siblings or that you share the same parents it's hard not love them and want to take care of them. We are all children of God, all of us. It doesn't matter what we believe, how we dress, the color of our skin, our political beliefs or if we are rich or poor. We all have value. We all can contribute something. I believe this with all my heart. Tonight I went to a broadcast from Salt Lake City to hear inspired women speak on just this topic; a sisterhood of women going about doing their father's business. I love that all over the globe friends of mine will hear the same message. A message of hope, a message of faith and a knowledge that our offering is acceptable to the Lord. I love service. I hope I always will. I hope you all will have an opportunity serve this next week unexpectedly. I hope it fills you with joy. All my love, Tracey