Why being a Mormon is Awesome!
I wrote this post in my head as I was cleaning my bathroom uninterrupted this morning. Yep, you read that right, I was cleaning my bathroom in the morning and kids were not interrupting me while I did it. And the reason that I could do that is because a teenager who I go to church with was downstairs playing with my kids for 3 hours for free and she’s coming back tomorrow to do the same thing!
Before I go on I want to say that my personal faith is rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ and not in the fringe benefits. If all the wonderful things that I am about to write about didn’t exist, I’d still be a Mormon (You can read about all the amazing things that I believe here).
When you are baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints you become a member of a family who take care of each other.
When I was a kid, my family was in a car accident. Members of our church picked us up from the hospital, cleaned our house, and provided meals without even being asked. My little sister was sent to a hospital that was hours away from our home and a woman we didn’t even know who was a member of our church visited her and brought her gifts.
When I arrived at our house in Tennessee for the first time, there was a hot home cooked meal waiting for me from a woman I’d never even met. That same woman watched all three of our children from 3am till bedtime a month later while I was in the hospital having our 4th child.
One of the secrets that the rest of the world doesn’t know is that wherever you go in this country and much of the world, there is a family of strangers that will help you. You can move into a place far away from home where you don’t know anyone and all you have to do is call the bishop and you’ll have a bunch of friendly Mormon strangers come and help you unload your moving truck.
At every significant point in my life when I’ve needed someone and family was not available, members of my church have been there to help me.
My heart is full of gratitude for all the wonderful things that my ward (that’s what we call the local group of people we go to church with) has done for me since moving to Washington less than two years ago. Several people have just stopped by unannounced with plates full of delicious baked goods. Some women came while my husband was at work and helped me organize my garage. Others have made meals for our family right after Thomas was born and after my mom dislocated her hip while visiting me. They’ve babysat my kids (for free) while I went to the doctor or took a kid to a doctor, while I volunteered in the school, and so that I could go out on a date with my husband. When my mom dislocated her hip at my house, a ward member came and watched all 5 of my kids at a moment’s notice including my two week old baby so that I could go to the hospital and be with her. Another woman gave her an elevated toilet seat and lent her a walker. And this last week when my truck died, several ward members have volunteered their time (and gas) driving my kids to soccer practice, scouts, and ballet. And today when we were ready to give up and call a tow truck because I couldn’t continue to ask others to drive my kids around while Zach worked on our truck in the evenings, a wonderful family from our ward lent us their suburban to drive until ours is fixed and offered to help Zach with the labor on our truck. Truly my cup runneth over and my heart is full of gratitude.
I’ve had friends who upon hearing how helpful the church is when you’re moving have asked, “Now, how do I join your church?” lol- all in fun though. It is nice to have a network of friends waiting for you when you’re going through a scary or hard transition.