The Parable of The First Responder

This is a re-post from a few years ago, but it's worth repeating.

I have to give a little bit of back-story to this post. I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. When I was born, my family lived in a rural area outside of Cincinnati called Batavia, Ohio.

As with most rural areas of our country, the first responders (police, fire department and life squad - now called ambulance) were all volunteer. In some areas they still are today. These are people who hold regular jobs, but during their time off they are on call and/or stationed at their respective buildings in order to quickly respond to an emergency. My father served, for a period of some years, as a volunteer at one time or another for all three in Batavia.

All photos are Copyright Cassandra Dawn Bushman

His Police Badge:





His Fire Fighter Badge:



Dad's Life Squad certification:




This parable is about the true nature of service. We have so many people who serve, but even more who only claim to serve but don't really walk the walk. The term "public servant" comes to mind with some of our elected officials. I was raised with an atmosphere of service in the home I grew up in. This started with my parents.

Let's think of the amount of hours my father spent getting trained for each of the 3 volunteer positions he held in Batavia. Did it take him away from his family? Yes. Was it time consuming? Yes. Was it worth it to the people he rescued? Absolutely yes.

Let's think about the calls he got to rescue someone or help someone in distress. Did these come at inconvenient times for my family? Yes. Was it worth it to the people he helped? Absolutely yes.

Some of these emergencies were flooded river banks, fires, medical emergencies in the home, bad vehicle accidents as well as robberies and disputes. How much do you think people valued Dad's willingness to drop everything and come to a rescue? The word priceless comes to mind, but Mastercard might have issues with that.

Dad always had to be prepared for any emergency, even if we were out for a family car ride here in Arizona and Dad was no longer the "official" first responder he had been in the past. I witnessed many times both of my parents administering emergency aid to someone at a rest stop, including one man who had been severely burned from his car's radiator cap exploding on him.

This was in the days before cell phones, when making a simple phone call was not an option.

Now let's think about what we call "service" today. Yes, there are some fantastic examples of service, including the first responders we have today (paid and unpaid), those in the military and their families, and anyone working in a public school. This includes not only the teachers, but also the staff who are the unsung heroes in public education.

There are also, I'm sorry to say, those whose "service" leaves something to be desired.

Those who abuse the word not only set a bad example, but they will, I believe, ultimately be exposed to the rest of the world for what they really are.

Ultimately, the questions we should be asking are: a) What kind of service do we give (this includes me as well ;o); and b) What kind of people should we be really looking up to? Celebrities, sports stars, politicians, or to those who provide the service most people never see?

I can be grateful that although my Dad was not perfect (he passed away on Dec. 13, 2006), he and Mom did set examples for me to rely on, even today.

I love you Dad, Happy Father's Day.

What Shall We Give?

Sunday, October 18, 2009

This is going to be a different kind of post, so I hope you will bear with me and not only read what I have to say, but also enjoy the videos.

Church today was fantastic, as usual. Sometimes I have trouble motivating myself to get to Church, but once I'm there and feel the Spirit of the Lord, I am left in awe and on a higher plane of thought.

Sacrament Meeting was on Godly Sorrow and Repentance. So many people make apologies they don't really mean these days, and this I mean out in the world. All you have to do is view the headlines on the news web sites to see it. It's seen a lot in the political and entertainment industries. How many people have apologized recently, but only after they had been caught? How many have really meant it? How many people apologize with their mouths but not with their hearts? How many have truly experienced Godly sorrow, which is a step in the repentance process?

After coming home from Church, I put the dvd "Testaments" in the machine. It is a fictional story that takes place in real events, during the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While there are reference shots depicting the life of Christ, this story takes place in the America's and the events are based on events in the Book of Mormon.



Sunday School today had the lesson on the Sacrifice of the early Mormons in Salt Lake City in building the Lord's Church and His Temple. It was mostly focused on the sacrifices and blessings of sacrifices we have today in our own lives.

Pioneers


As you would expect, the scriptures were used heavily.

God's Words Never Cease


There were several different scriptures used, including one of my favorites from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, Section 58:

2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.
4 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.

There is a lot to be said about trials and what kind of sacrifices are made in the face of these trials, but there also comes knowledge and blessings. I've witnessed this time and again in my life. The other part, in verse 3, where the scriptures talk about how we don't know right now what is in store for us, but if we keep our foundation strong and faith steered towards Christ, the blessings will be well worth it.

The reason why this means so much to me, as you may have guessed, is because I am a widow. I was sitting today with a few of the other widows in my Ward and we agreed that there have been a lot of things we have had to sacrifice so that our husbands could serve God on the other side. The Lord knows this and I can testify right now, He provides blessings for the predicaments we end up in.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 64: 33-34

33 Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
34 Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.

This scripture talks about obedience and the willingness to serve. This requires your heart to be in the right place, which only comes from repentance. The other thing I noticed was in vs. 33 where it talks about from small things become great things. This reminded me of the book I recently finished called The Tipping Point, where it talks about all kinds of epidemics, including the "epidemic" spread of religion. While the LDS Church was not profiled, it was mentioned. Remember, there were only 6 members of the Church at the time when it was officially organized in 1830.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 82: 10

10 I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.

The Lord ALWAYS keeps his promises.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 93:1

1 VERILY, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

In the process of repentance, you get to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ very well, or true repentance doesn't happen. I'm sorry, but it's the only way. The good news, once the bitter part has passed, the blessings come. When your heart has truly been turned and touched in the way only Christ can, you have this promise.

Sunday Will Come


Doctrine and Covenants Section 130:19-21

19 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.
20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

What kind of knowledge and wisdom do you think people could gain by simply following the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus?

Because of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, we can have peace in our hearts despite the tribulation in the world.

Finding Hope


Relief Society was on the value of friendship and being that true friend. This requires all of the above, plus a genuine love and desire to serve your friends. Do you think this is something taught in the world?

What Matters Most


So, the basic, most fundamental question of the day was, Choose You This Day Whom You Will Serve. Take it from a widow, don't procrastinate, because you don't know who will be taken Home to God in your life, including you.

Choose This Day