The Worth of a Soul

I arrived at a point today when I inadvertently took upon myself the heavy burden of comparison.  Without realizing it my mind established and then without question confirmed that I was not as talented as this person, as successful as that person, as experienced, humble or wise as another. I was neither as healthy, as educated, as fun nor articulate as that person over there nor am I as compassionate or capable as the person down the street. Once begun, the spiral of comparison was taking me down to a place that puts out a welcome mat for those who think they are somehow less deserving, less important and without significance. 

I’m tired I thought.

But I needed to take the trash can out and bring in the mail. Even lowly me could handle that!

The evenings are chilly now and the sun was just going down so I put on a light coat and wheeled the garbage out to the street.  My eye caught the flight of a small bird overhead.

A clear voice spoke to my woeful mind…”Does the Lord love the mighty eagle more than he loves a little chickadee?”

I stopped in my tracks.

I heard….”Does the Lord love a wild stallion more than he loves a blue butterfly?”

I picked up my step and picked up on the game….adding my own thoughts now…Does the Lord love the turbulent oceans more than he loves the gentle brook? Does the Lord love a powerful king more than he loves a helpless child?...... Does the Lord love the accomplished neighbor down the street more than he loves me?… And there it was.

Truth

The Lord knows me and He loves me for what I do.  He knows the neighbor and He loves her for what she does.  He loves the eagle and he loves the chickadee. He doesn’t expect the chickadee to be an eagle and he doesn’t expect the eagle to be a chickadee.  We all serve a purpose if we all serve Him.

Joy replaced the dismal thoughts and I walked with a lighter step to retrieve the mail.

Inside the mailbox I find an overstuffed envelope addressed simply to “Grandma” .  Once back inside the kitchen I eagerly open the letter to find two paper airplanes an origami boat and an origami hat folded using blue lined school paper.  Each with the words (written in the hand of a 7 year old boy) “I LOVE YOU”.

What value can be placed on someone who is loved by the Lord and loved by her family!

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf  was right when he said,  “The Lord uses a scale very different from the world’s to weigh the worth of a soul”

When I climb into bed tonight, even though I didn’t conquer the world, I gave my widow’s mite so I’ll be able to pull up the covers, click off the light and say “I did what I could today and I am loved. “

And...I’m grateful the Lord created eagles AND chickadees.