In a book
entitled, “Try giving Yourself Away,”
David Dunn writes, “Like most
people, I was brought to look upon life as a process of getting. The idea of giving myself away, came to me
quite by accident.” The
author then explains how he found a
painting and sent it to a friend in need.
He then writes, “It was thus I made the important discovery that
anything which makes one glow with pleasure is beyond money calculation, in
this humdrum world where there is altogether too much grubbing and too little
glowing.”
Just like the
piano, baseball, and riding a bike one needs to exercise charity in order to
make it become a part of one’s daily life.
A great example to me of every day charity to me is my late grandpa,
Karl Davis. I went to my grandma’s house to talk with her about my grandpa. She pulled out a very large filing box filled
to the top with letters from neighbors, ward members, missionaries, and
countless other people. Dozens and
dozens of letters shared stories of and expressed gratitude for my grandpa’s quiet
service. One letter written by a member
of his singles ward wrote, “I don’t think you would ever find a more devoted
and dedicated bishop. What he gave to us
all was selfless sacrifice.”
My grandma then showed
me another box that was filled to the top with letters to grandpa from
missionaries. Over 40 years ago he started
a mission preparation class in the Bountiful Central Stake. It was so successful that the Church asked
him to help them develop a missionary preparation course that was then used
throughout the Church. He loved others
and he loved missionary work, because he understood the blessings that come to
both the missionaries themselves and to those they serve. Grandpa’s
love of others and of missionary work was so well known that when he died,
clients of his made donations to the Church’s missionary department in his
name.
Elder Holland was
my mom’s home teacher when she was young and a good friend of her family. Elder Holland said about my grandfather, “I
think it’s arguable that Karl Davis did more to touch more lives—I really
believe this, I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t—I think it could be argued that
Karl Davis did more to touch more lives in a constructive and in a noble and
wonderful way, members and non-members, young-and especially young-with the
elderly, than any other man or woman in this room.” Elder Holland also said, “Karl put more
people through missionary preparation course than any man in history.”
In 1 Corinthians
13:4 we read, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.” My grandpa never asked for recognition, he
never flaunted his good works. He did it
because loved others. He did it because
he knew that to whom much is given, much is required. Moroni states, “But charity is the pure love
of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the
last day, it shall be well with him.” Long after my grandpa’s death, my family
is still hearing new stories about my grandpa’s life and his good deeds. It has always been a personal goal of mine to
live my life as my grandpa had lived his, someone who is compassionate, devoted
and always looking to help others.
Walking down an unmarked way
Lots of roads marked by sun rays
I go down one and feel unright
I hesitate at one without a light
Standing in the middle of a crossroad
I get confused and feel heavy under the load
I turn one way and another
I am lost and begin to shudder
About to give up I see
Someone running up to me
Panting he calls out
“We need you too,” he shouts
“Thank you for rescuing me,” I say.
Unforgotten, I go down the lit and marked way
