The Best Thing You Can Do to Create FAMILY UNITY

Last weekend, I had one of the most life-changing, life-enriching experiences.  So my brother Steve’s in-laws, the Nelsons, happen to be in our ward currently and we have always been very close with this family.  Their roof was broken, it was raining, and they had to do an emergency roof repair in the middle of leaving for Canada for a daughter’s wedding.  So my brother Steve, being a contractor, dropped what he was doing and flew out to surprise them to help get the roof and all the inside damage repaired. 

We had just a few days to take off and put on an entire new roof, move all the furniture, and install new tiling and carpet through the house – and the Nelsons had no idea all of this was happening… only that a couple people would be working on the roof.  Quickly realizing we couldn’t possibly do this on our own, Steve began to ask for help.  It was so inspiring to see extended family members leave their current vacations and busy schedules to help their family who they greatly loved!  Word spread and everyone was eager to get involved.  As I pulled up just hours before the Nelsons arrived, I watched neighbors flooding from their houses as we all joined to work and serve together.   There was a spirit of excitement and great unity as we all hurried to get the house ready!!

This is an experience that I will never, ever forget!  Having five older brothers and the youngest brother being six years older than me, I always greatly admired my amazing brothers but saw them more as heroes than close friends.  We were never in the same stages growing up and I always longed to get to know them better.  Through all our late night laughing and daily working hard together this past weekend, I grew so close to my brother, and I learned an important lesson:

WORKING TOGETHER DOING HARD THINGS

and

MEANINGFULLY SERVING OTHERS TOGETHER

will bind your family to be closer to each other and closer to Christ more than almost any other activity.  Wow, I sure learned the power of WORK and SERVICE and will strive to make these things apart of our little growing family!  These two principles also help combat against selfishness and the sense of entitlement which plague our society.  These words, put into action, fill our lives with the Spirit of Christ and refine us into better people and stronger families!