Random Acts of Kindness

Shortly after having Maddie, Dan went out one morning to take the kids to school or something along those lines (it was early-ish in the morning) and brought back a gift bag with a baby gift in it. Not too shocking that some one would leave us a gift since Maddie was less than 2 weeks old (Dan hadn't yet gone back to work)  but the situation in which it arrived & the person who "sent" it were anything but predictable.

So I was in that awkward spot where I felt a little trapped at home, where I was not feeling up to going anywhere but tired of looking at the same 4 walls and longing for some "company". This is also about the time where most friends & family don't call to check on you in case you are resting, they don't want to bother you - which I completely understand, but truth be told I was longing for someone to call/come by to check on us. Well in short it didn't happen & on this particular morning I was feeling a bit sorry for myself, even the people who I felt should be checking on us daily (wow that sounds very self centered doesn't it) weren't & frankly it was starting to get to me. Not having my computer for the first few weeks after having Maddie was a blessing & a curse. It was nice to not feel the pressure to check email, facebook & all the other things I normally do online, but it also helped contribute to my sense of isolation. ANYWAY I had gotten up with Dan to help him get the kids off to school, when he came back he brought in a package that he had found on the porch. Inside it was a pink baby layette. Very cute, but no card. Later that morning I used my BlackBerry to access my email and found this message from one of the ladies in our ward who had taken Kassie for one of the days that I had been in the hospital.

"I left a birthday gift at the front door for Madelynn (I hope I got the spelling right). It's not from me.

I tutor a young mom from Thailand in English and reading. I brought Kassie with me when I had her last week. She was perfect, and Pok, my student, had a lot of fun with her. She asked me if you had a girl and said she had a gift--and she brought it to our "school" session yesterday. Wasn't that sweet??   Hope you're doing well. Give a yell if/when you need anything."   It touched me more than I could ever express. This person who didn't know me & could not have known how I was feeling, had thought of me & my little family. I wish I could express the emotions I felt when I read that email - more than anything I wanted to sit & blog about it right then & there but with no computer it wasn't possible. Now, several months later, I can still remember how touched I was that day. Silly how a little gift (& a thoughtful email) sent me the "lifeline" I so needed in that moment.    I'm not the kind of person who asks for help - if you see me struggling & don't offer your help I sure as heck am not going to ask you for it - it's just the way I am. Stubborn, pig headed whatever you want to call it at some level I probably qualify, but I'd just as soon do it myself than ask for help. That said I hope that I am that person who is paying attention and offering my help and not the person who sits back & waits to be asked to help. This is the type of person I want to be, the one who hears the prompting & then acts - reaching out to another just as He would want me to.   I recently came across a couple of quotes from President Spencer W. Kimball that seem to solidify all of this for me. Both are found on page 82 of Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball (2006)   “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another mortal that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom.”   “None of us should become so busy in our formal Church assignments that there is no room left for quiet Christian service to our neighbors." So as the events of this day unfolded it reminded me of one very important thing, the thing I am grateful for not just on that day, but today & every day.... I am grateful for a Heavenly Father who knows my every need even when I can't humble myself enough to express it to others. I am grateful for others who listen to the promptings they are given, who then become the answer I am searching for. My life is fuller, richer and more complete knowing that He loves & watches over me (my family & you) as a only a loving father can do.