Be Our Valentine - 10 Years of Family Tradition

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,

To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction...

James 1:27

Ten years ago my family started a wonderful tradition that has gone on to bless many people in our area, ourselves included.  It all started through the kindness shown to us by a kind elderly lady who lived next door.

Mary Jones - the Lady Next Door

Mary Jones did as much for our family as she was able, which mainly included bringing us baked goods - cakes, pies, and other treats.  So when her husband, Ken, passed away we desired to do something for her.  What our family decided upon was to host a dinner for her and her other friends who are widows for Valentine's Day.

It was a most joyful experience and we knew we had to do it the following year, but this time we invited all of the widows in our area.  This is a lot more than simply informing them of the dinner and asking them to come.  We go to the lady's home a few weeks beforehand and visit with them.  It is more than a dinner, but it is making new friends, making friends with people that may not have many friends or get much time to talk.

At the dinner party itself there is a program that our family does for the women in attendance.  Myself and all of my siblings share a talent, whether it be with the piano, guitar, artwork, story-telling or something else.  Being the 10th year of this tradition (a full decade!) we did more than ever before, and I wrote a special song for the occasion:

I still remember the lady who lived next door to us

She had a charm and beauty that radiated more than anyone's

Our family desired to return her kindness in some way

10 years ago the least that we could do was say:

Won't you be our Valentine?

Be with us on this special night

No need to be alone

Come on to our home

Be our Valentine

What a joy it was to spend the night with all of our lovely guests

Dinner and games with Mary Jones and her friends

The following year invitations went out to everyone

Who were alone on a day that celebrated having fun

Won't you be our Valentine?

Be with us on this special night

No need to be alone

Come on to our home

Be our Valentine

Over the years the numbers seem to grow on us

Making new friends, meeting old ones, and sharing our love

We hope you enjoy the time spent with us today

There's just one last thing that we would all like to say:

Won't you be our Valentine?

Be with us on this special night

No need to be alone

Come on to our home

Be our Valentine

It is a wonderful occasion for all of us present.  The wonderful ladies get a nice night out with other people in a similar situation, and we get to experience the joy that only comes from helping others.

Helping Others

Helping those in need was what Jesus Christ was best at.  He spent his life serving other people.  From Mormon.org we read:

He fed the hungry. He healed the sick. He blessed those in need. He served by teaching. Even as a twelve-year-old boy, he was "about [His] father's business" (Luke 2:49). It may be overwhelming to try to live up to Christ's perfect example of service, but we can remember that even our smallest actions show our determination to be like Him. When we visit the sick or the lonely, we are being like Jesus. When we help our neighbors fix their roof, when we serve a meal to someone who needs it, when we donate to disaster relief, when we forgive those who offend us, we are serving as He would serve. Serving like Jesus Christ has a cleansing effect on us. It helps us understand the idea that our time, talents and possessions are not just our own. (Read more here.)

 As previously noted, there are many ways in which we could help other people.  I will give one example from my life.  As Valentine's Day approaches, my family is preparing for our annual Widow's Dinner.  This tradition started ten years ago when our neighbor's husband passed away.  She was a kind lady that was always showing her kindness to us through loving words and baked goods.  Wanting to show our kindness in return, we planned a dinner for her and some of her friends who were also widows on Valentine's Day, so they would not be alone on this special day.  Over the years the dinner has grown to include a great number of elderly women from the neighborhood.  We play games, eat dinner and share stories.

There are countless ways to serve others:  we can share our time with someone who is lonely, or tutor someone that needs help with schoolwork, or even play games with someone that needs a friend.  It may be difficult to get out and do things for other people who we may not know, but as we do so we will be filled with a joy that we could not otherwise find.

"When we love somebody, we show it by doing something nice. So learn to serve: find a need and fulfill a need. Surprise people with a good deed they hadn't planned on. We have that opportunity at home, at school, and at church."

(Russell M. Nelson, "Focus on Values")

Mormonism Music: Elder Czubak's 'A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief'

My favorite song is straight from the Mormonism Hymn Book:  #29 - A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.  Many scriptures come to my mind when I hear this lovely song, but first and foremost is the following passage:

Matthew 25:31-40
31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32. And before him shall be gathered all nations:  and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35. For I was an hungered  and ye gave me meat:  I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink:  I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36. Naked, and ye clothed me:  I was sick, and ye visited me:  I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39. Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 Also can be used this scripture from the Book of Mormon:

Mosiah 2:17
And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

In these scriptures we see the importance of service as well as the love that God has for his children.  In another post I have shared the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson - "Every man takes care that his neighbor shall not cheat him. But a day comes he begins to care that he does not cheat his neighbor. Then all goes well."  I feel that has a lot to do with this conversation as well.  When we begin to see each other in the way that God sees us we will begin to treat people with charity and love.  When we begin to treat people with charity and love we then show God our love for his children, and therefore our respect and love towards him.

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And now I would like to share with you the song.  Below is a video of me performing the song, and below the video are the lyrics.

A poor wayfaring man of grief hath often crossed me on my way

Who sued so humbly for relief that I could never answer nay

I had not power to ask his name, where to he went, or whence he came

Yet there was something in his eye that won my love, I knew not why

Once while my scanty meal was spread he entered, not a word he spake

Just perishing for want of bread, I gave him all, he blessed it, brake

And ate but gave me part again, mine was an angel's portion then

And while I fed with eager haste the crust was manna to my taste

I spied him where a fountain burst clear from the rock, his strength was gone

The heedless water mocked his thirst, he heard it, saw it hurrying on

I ran and raised the sufferer up, thrice from the stream he drained my cup

Dipped and returned it running over, I drank and never thirsted more

It was night, the floods were out, it blew a winter's hurricane aloof

I heard his voice abroad and flew to bid him welcome to my roof

I warmed and cheered and clothed my guest and laid him on the couch to rest

Then made the earth my bed and seemed in Eden's garden while I dreamed

Stripped, wounded, beaten nigh to death I found him by the highway side

I roused his pulse, brought back his breath, revived his spirit and supplied-

Wine, oil, refreshment, he was healed - I had myself a wound concealed

And from that hour forgot the smart and peace bound up my broken heart

In prison I saw him next condemned to meet a traitor's doom at morn

The tide of lying tongues I stemmed and honored him 'mid shame and scorn

My friendship's utmost zeal to try, he asked if I for him would die

The flesh was weak, the blood ran chill, but my free spirit cried, "I will!"

Then in a moment to my view the stranger started from disguise

The tokens in his hands I knew, the Savior stood before mine eyes

He spake and my poor named he named, "Of me thou hast not been ashamed

These deeds shall thy memorial be - Fear not, thou didst them unto me."

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