Service

I married into a family of storytellers.  From the very first visit I made to Washington, I loved sitting around the dining room table, long after dinner was over and listening to the stories.  I like sitting on the deck, under the tall evergreens or sitting around in a circle of chairs on the lawn, listening to stories.

At first, when everyone was younger, there were a lot of growing up stories.  There were a lot of scout camp stories, because crazy things happen at scout camp and Linn was the leader so the stories involved him as well.

Part of the family lore was about a hapless scout who broke through the ice on a winter campout and his feet were freezing cold.  (You may wonder why would you camp in the winter?  Or ever?  I'm indoorsy, but I digress.)

Linn was the scout leader and I don't know how old Adam was at the time, but Adam is the oldest son and it speaks volumes about Adam's personality and his relationship with his dad that Linn had Adam put the scout's freezing cold feet in his armpits to warm them up.  This story has always just cracked me up.  (Also it worked.)

Our kids also know the story, because like I said, the Davises are storytellers.  When I returned home from my surgery, I put an ice pack in my armpit, at the doctor's suggestion.  Mark brought up the story.  He said I was having reverse hypothermia.

The next day I was remembering the story again.  I was thinking about Linn, as I often do.  I was thinking that for him at scout camp, his role was to keep the scouts safe.  He was the leader.  I think he considered Adam, his oldest son with all of the winning characteristics of a firstborn, an extension of himself.  It was probably very natural for him to enlist Adam's help.  Linn knew he could count on Adam.

I like to think that Linn is continuing to count on Adam.  I think he is looking down on Adam and feeling good about the ways that he is serving the Lord and also wearing himself out taking care of his family.  Linn loved Braeden and Emma and Mark.  He would have loved Anna (I mean, the red hair!) and I can only imagine the happy relationship he would have with QE.  (Maybe they were buddies in heaven before QE came to earth.)

A few weeks ago, at the hospital, Adam brought a book to read aloud to me while I was waiting for surgery (because that is the person I married).  He opened the book and tucked the bookmark into the back cover and smoothed the book open and his mannerism in handling a book in that moment reminded me so much of Linn.  Of course I know Adam more than I ever knew Linn, but I love seeing glimpses of him in Adam.  I love that because of temple covenants, I am part of their family.  We will all be together again, hopefully sharing stories. (Because they are all good storytellers.)

***

I have been the recipient of more service in the past few months than the past few years combined.  I appreciate it!  Sometimes it is the difference between me feeling like things are going to be OK and...not.  

Other times, I kind of hate it.

It is humbling to accept.  I want to be independent and self sufficient.  I want to feel like my normal self.

It occurs to me that in order for people, anyone, everyone to serve, someone has to be the recipient.  Maybe being as gracious as you can and accepting service that is offered, that is its own kind of service.

There are a lot of ways that Heavenly Father asks us to serve.  Like Linn saw Adam, maybe Heavenly Father sees us as an extension of Him.  Maybe He is counting on us to serve each other and He knows who He can ask and who He can trust.  Sometimes service may feel as unpleasant as freezing cold feet in our armpits, but I want to hold that image in my head.

Adam put the freezing cold feet in his armpits anyway.  Because his dad asked him to.

I want to be a person who can be counted on like that.