Enrichment tonight was a gift by Hi McNaughtan.

She’s my kind of gal.  She told of a day when she decided to read a novel and let everything else fly: her kiddos were undressed and diapers sagging, the baby had smeared a peanut butter sandwich on the door, the laundry was sorted and in the middle of the floor, and she was still wearing her hubby’s pj’s when “Betty Crocker” knocked at the door.

Here’s the best part, Hi said that she decided that “Betty Crocker” left her house that day, probably patting herself on the back for not being Hi, and her house or children not looking like Hy’s house.  Hy said that she had given this woman an uplift.  She had probably done the most Christlike thing all day by lifting “Betty Crocker”!

I smiled, I laughed, and I cried.  It was a great hour or so of stories, encouragement and “gifts,” as Hy calls them…things that we learn and can use.  I took some notes (I’d heard she was wonderful, and knew I best record what struck me).  Here are some of the gems:

• do the simple, good things, they become a BIG example
• me may have good intentions, but we must be so careful what we teach our children – She used a poem by Caroline Pearson that depicts a mother who always put her needs below everyone else…that on her death-bed, her husband did not know what to do with a frying pan, and her sons thought a woman’s role was only to serve everyone else (among other things). Which leads to the next gem…
• realize that you have needs as well, and ask for help when you need it (instead of waiting till you explode, or worse, die realizing you never cared for you)
• give yourself the gift of not being so hard on yourself– we can all relate to the story of Betty Crocker…no, maybe there is no peanut butter on the wall, but how many times do we look at others and think that we’re not doing enough…we need to be like Hy and be happy to have made someone’s day!  🙂  I’m sooo going to do this more!
• we just can’t do everything – its so true.  Choosing a few good things is definitely more realistic.  And for my favorite gem…
• the Lord knows our heart and our thoughts– She used the scripture, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”, (Matt. 5: 28) .  Here’s the part that I love: if lust is like committing adultery, then what about all the good thoughts like, ” I’d like to take some cookies over or cook for them, or take care of her kiddos for her…”

Its a whole new world.  Sometimes I really do think of all the wonderful things I could be doing for others as I’m changing a poopy diaper, cleaning up spit-up or washing dishes.  Maybe those really do count for something!  Hi did caution that since He knows our heart, He knows if we don’t take the time to do those things.  But if you’re like me, just trying to survive and do something good for others as we can, think happy thoughts with me…oh, the better world we can make together.

Hi is right, it’s the small and simple that will make the great.  Instead of being so hard on myself, all the things I am not doing, I’m going to commit to doing the small and simple and thinking happy thoughts along the way!

Thank you Hi for these wonderful gifts!