The Joy of Service

I am always looking for a teaching moment. I think it is so important that my children learn to serve others. We live in a world that says me, me, me. We spend alot of time supporting our children in their various activities. We make sure they have nice clothes to wear. They always get things for their birthdays and Christmas. I feel that as parents we try and do our best to help our children feel loved and comfortable. We have been very blessed as a family. I in turn want them to share those blessings with others.
We have a little 90 year old neighbor lady, Lorraine Smart. She is a widow and lives alone. When they moved into their house 60 years ago they planted a little tree. That tree has since grown to be huge. It is a beautiful tree. Yesterday as I went outside to get the mail I glanced over to her yard. Her beautiful tree had deposited its leaves all over her yard. I thought, there is my teaching moment! For Family Home Evening last night we went outside and cleaned up all those leaves. We filled 18 large black garbage bags! My children had a ball! We talked, and played and worked all at the same time. It took until it was dark but no one complained. My children kept saying, "this is so much fun!" They learned the joy of service!