Sacrifice or Privilege?

I was thinking while I was going to sleep -- or was it while I was waking up -- or just sitting with my eyes closed contemplating...

I was considering our home teacher and his visit on Sunday afternoon. He is such a soft-spoken, kind-hearted, pleasant-looking man. I am sure he is a blessing to his family's life, to his wife, and to his children. He listens to us with a look on his face like he is interested in what we have to say. You can tell he listens first and then responds. He turned to the scriptures for a spiritual thought that seemed it was about the struggles we had mentioned in our conversation. I couldn't help feeling I was very glad he had come by to visit us on this particular day when I needed most to be reminded of where it is I am going and who it is I am following to get there. Thank you, ___ [ H.T.].

So I thought about his visit. It seemed it must have been a sacrifice for him to come to visit. It took of his time. It took travel and gas. It took time away from his family. It probably delayed his dinner. While it probably is a sacrifice for him to come, it is a good thing because he is doing what he's been taught to do in following the Lord and His Prophets.

And I thought about how I feel because he makes this sacrifice to come to our home and talk with us and impart his thoughts and perspectives and spiritual insights.

That's when it came to me that perhaps he didn't consider it a sacrifice. Perhaps he thought of it as a privilege to visit us and his other families. Well, that makes me feel special indeed to think that he might consider serving the Lord a privilege and helping Him shepherd His flock an activity he likes to do, and visiting with us is a blessing in his life that makes him feel good.

By now I saw something about me very clearly. The image of sacrificing was like the half empty glass. But the image of privilege was like the half full glass. I got it. I could get it in so many other areas of my life. Taking care of my home doesn't have to be a chore of sacrifice; it can be a joy of privilege. The image snowballed throughout images of my life.

I was blessed indeed by the visit of a humble man who is our home teacher...

... and this insight might just be what I needed to change my life for the better...