November 28, 2011
All my life I have been aware of just how mortal I am. When I was about eight years old we lived in Concho. This was the little community in Northeastern Arizona. I have shared details about Concho with you in other letters. My good friend Charles Mccullough was just my age and we did lots of things together. You might recall that he had a younger sister and then a younger brother who had an extremely serious illness which left him unable to do more than breathe on his own. His father was a farmer in Hunt, a series of ranches and farms about six miles Northwest of Concho on the way to Holbrook. One day I was riding into town with Charlie and Mrs. Mccullough in their “model A” coupe and I made some obnoxious eight year old comment about how slow the car was going. Charlie’s mother slammed on the brakes and said, if this car isn’t good enough for you, just get out and walk. I didn’t get out; didn’t say a word and we came on into town without another word being said by anyone. All these years later I still feel bad about making her life a little worse than it already was. She had the world on her back with problems I still can’t comprehend and I simply made matters worse. I needed to apologize. I needed to repent and do something to restore her frail existence from the harm I had done. I never did. Now, over six decades later, I still lament my childish nonsense and wish I could take it back.
Today in Sunday school we discussed Peter, Chapters one and two from the New Testament. In Second Peter 1:2– 13 No scripture or temporal writing is more clear. God has given us, “all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him who has called us to glory and virtue.” Can we go back and correct the foibles of our youth, or even yesterday. No, but we can repent, ask for forgiveness, and do everything in our power to avoid going back to that ugly place we are so desperately attempting to escape. Now, as to forgiveness we have also been given clear sailing instructions regarding our responsibility to allow people to move forward in their lives. Our Savior has instructed us that our responsibility is to forgive always. He will forgive, who he will. My first weekly letter shared a thought from an LDS Apostle, saying in essence, let it go. Forgive and move on with our lives. Wasting time hating, fighting, arguing, ignoring, or inciting, simply uses up our only source of energy - life itself.
We all need to play nice and do all we can to build up, to comfort, to share, to bless the lives of others through deeds of kindness and sharing, through charity, the pure love of Christ.
God bless you as you seek out those in need of a pat on the back, a good meal, a friendly smile, an opportunity to enjoy peace in their live through some small gesture by you. When God shares with us that we are to look out for “even the least of these”, he really means it.
Grandpa Duane Jacobs, Grandpa, friend, cousin, uncle, popsa, etc.
NOTE: I have created a blog named Grandpa Duane Jacobs and have placed most, or all of these weekly notes on it for anyone who would care to see them. dj