If visiting teaching were easy,
And no challenge presented itself,
No problem with time,
No mountains to climb,
No juggling with spiritual health;
Then where would the sacrifice come from,
And the service, the faith, and the oil,
To fill lamps of our own,
To take back home,
For refining the family soil?

If you can love each woman that you visit,
Because she is a mother at home;

If you can find in each a lovely virtue-
Then finding it – be sure to pass it on;

If you can disregard the littered parlor
Or dirty dishes that you’re sure to find;

But take your message to the one who lives there
And make her feel you’re friendly, wise and kind.

If you can sympathize where there is sorrow,
Can calm the troubled waters where there’s strife;

If you can make her know that her tomorrows
Hold more than just the struggles of this life;

If you can help wherever help is needed,
Can share with her joys, as well as tears;

If you can leave her one thought or inspiration
For her to carry with her through the years.

If she can confide in you where she’s troubled,
And know that you, her confidence will keep;

If you can help a tired or weary Mother
To make a bed, or rock a child to sleep;

If you can do these things, and all the others
That I am sure are there for you to do,

Yours is a mission not unlike the Master’s
And blessings will be given unto you.

"I 'm only a visiting teacher,"
She said and her head hung low.
“I’m really not very important -
“I guess I’ll not even go."

"I’m sure no one will miss me,
No one will even care.
I'll use this time for my own work
Instead of going there."

So she hurried around all morning,
Her house was polished and swept.
Then stopping to rest for a moment
She sat in her chair and slept-

And scarcely had her eyes f1uttered
Before a vision came to her sight,
And standing there before her
Was a personage clothed in white.

She saw in His hands the nail prints,
His brow where thorns had lain,
His side where the sword had pieced it,
His face with its look of pain.

"I gave you some work to do,"
It seemed she heard Him say.
“You thought it of no importance,
You stayed at home today."

"You did not deliver my message,
You did not feed my sheep.
You only swept and polished
And stayed at home to sleep."

"Oh Master," she cried, "Forgive me I pray,
That I should fail to see,
That had I done it unto the least of these,
I would have done it unto thee."

Accepts you as you are
Believes in "you"
Calls you just to say "HI"
Doesn't give up on you
Envisions the whole of you
(even the unfinished parts)
Forgives your mistakes
Gives unconditionally
Helps you
Invites you over
Just because
Keeps you close at heart
Loves you for who you are
Makes a difference in your life
Never Judges
Offers support
Picks you up
Quiets your fears
Raises your spirits
Says nice things about you
Tells you the truth when you need to hear it
Understands you
Values you
Walks beside you
Xxoxoxoxxxoooxxoxo
Yells when you won't listen and
Zaps you back to reality