Sermons from a Sunday

Birthday Lesson's

for a Granddaughter

Today is the 135th birthday of my Great Grandpa, Ezra Kunz. While I was sitting in church today my Family Search App sent me a notification about his birthday. That reminder made me so happy. I sent it on to my son and got a smile from him as well. I did know my grandpa, but I don't really remember him since he passed away when I was only five. After a moment of happiness, remembering what I know about him, the Lord took the opportunity to teach me a sermon through my grandpa. 

You see I have been struggling lately. Not terribly, but I have been a bit frustrated and impatient with paying off my husband's surgery from 6 months ago while paying for the medical expenses of my son's broken arm back in May. I've grown accustomed to having a little extra and these things have made our finances tighter than I would like. Because of all this I feel like I can't live the grand life I want to live and give to my children. It's left me frustrated.

Grandpa Kunz lived during the depression and there are many stories of how my grandfather struggled to provide for his family. One of those stories, told by my Great Aunt Thekla is her recollection of gathering weeds with her mother from a field near their home. They were gathered in order to make a stew for the family supper. As I sat in church thinking of my grumblings of feeling like a "poor pauper" I realized that I was more rich than I realized. I also realized that no matter what you are lacking in wealth and influence in worldly ways, you make up for with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

My grandpa may have truly been a "poor pauper" but his examples and influencial stories live on. He lived a long and decent life. He and my grandma had been married for 75 years when he died. They raised a good family and he had a wonderful testimony of paying tithing to the Lord. A testimony that had helped my testimony of tithing to grow.

I was also blessed by an unspoken sermon this morning in church. My friend was speaking in church and her 4-year-old daughter wanted to be on the stand with her mom. She was very unhappy with her dad for telling her she couldn't go up on the stand. As she was laying unhappily in the isle a mother and her young son from the other side of the chapel discretely slid across the large row of pews in the middle of the chapel so they could sit across the isle from the young girl. I saw as the mother, who was new to our ward (congregation), encouraged her son as he shared some of his crackers with the little girl. The young girl then began sharing her snacks with the boy. My heart was warmed as I watch these young children serve and lift up one another. What a blessing it is so be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ in church and from my family.   

Truly I am rich in Christ!