The One

A few years back a pregnant mother of 5 relayed something to me that still rolls around my thoughts to this day. She told me how having 1 child is really no different than having 5 because your attention is still being drawn to 1 child's needs at a time. I'm sure mothering 5 kidlets compared to just my 1 is a lot different in many ways, but I so cherish her inspired words that at the heart of it all - it is the same.

Caring for the one.

As a christian, you seek to pattern your life after Christ. And through learning and studying His example it rings ever true that He always sought after the one. Whoever, wherever, His hands and heart were there caring for that one person. Seeking diligently to be with that one soul whom His strength could heal, whom His hands could bless. The atonement itself is highly individualized; Christ didn't suffer for a blanketed the-human-race-all-at-once moment. He suffered for your life. my life. his life. her life. and so on. It was an 'at-one-ment'; Him placing himself in each of our specific lives and circumstances and preparing a way for us individually to turn to Him to find comfort, forgiveness, and ultimately saving grace. He always cares for the one.

I get overwhelmed (shocking I know). It seems I feel all at once that this person needs me, and this person, and this person. All of a sudden I have 10+ people rolling around in my head that could use some sort of help and care from me and I choose then to just shut down and contact none of them, barricading myself in my house huddled in a corner feeling defeated at the task. (DO NOT DO THIS). All of the overwhelming guilt rush of feelings however, can all go away the instant I choose the one. I've come to realize you can be a force for good without feeling the guilt and anxiety of it all by just being there for the one.

Recently I've seen back-biting articles coming out, bashing certain charities stating that those sufferers are a minority and therefore not as important as other causes we should be spending our time on. They say 'You should quit fighting for that cause because this cause has greater numbers.' It truly breaks my heart because I know of a surety that this is true:

"...the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" -D&C 18:10

Therefore EVERY soul is great in the eyes of God. If 1 person can be helped in some way, is it not worth our efforts? Though our caregiving tasks at hand for the list full of people is seemingly an unbearable burden, if our efforts are concentrated to one individual at a time, I've come to know that the burden is not only made light, but even more influential.


Heaven's slice is focusing on the one.