Serving Others

September 2, 2012

Friday morning I faced a chore that was beyond my ability to comprehend. Physically I knew that I wasn’t up to the task. We had virtually all of our “things” in a rented truck and my trailer and truck were full of “more of the same.” It was a work day before labor day weekend and I had to have everything off the truck before two 2:00 pm that same day. I have shared much of my testimony regarding the Holy Ghost, ministering angels, and the power of prayer. Every single day I share their presence and Friday was one of the highlights of this experience. For those who don’t remember, my days of grabbing two single bed mattresses and carrying them to their new location, or wrestling two sailors on the steel deck of the ship are long since passed. Now, I am lucky to be able to lie on a single mattress, or wrestle my way out of the same bed without significant exertion and pain.

I took my dilemma to the Lord and let him guide me. I went straight to Provo and the residence of an old friend I had been blessed to know a few years back. By spiritual design Brother and sister Maldanado were sitting on their front patio, sipping on Argentine beverages. As soon as I got out of the car, Brother M said, “Duane”, how good to see you. What can we do for you?” I shared my plight and fifteen minutes later he was dressed for work and in the car ready to take on the task at hand. Soon he had called a friend, Freddy Garcia who met us at the storage units. I was blessed with more energy and strength than I had been able to find in many years. The three of us unloaded everything, filling a ten by thirty storage unit completely to the top and all the way to the front. We had just about unloaded everything when Freddy picked up a wooden hot plate with the words, “When we serve others we are in the service of our God”. He pointed tenderly at the sign and said, this is what we are doing. We got the truck back to the Budget Truck rental location just in just in time to avoid any late fees.

I was about seven years old and my father was rounding up cattle on his lease property just south of Concho, Arizona on the road to Sholow. This is very high country, about 6,500 feet and during the spring time this area is very prone to furious rains, thunder and lightning. The normally dry creek beds become swollen, fast running creeks with logs, boulders, and other debris making for a treacherous journey. I had no conscious memory of spiritual things at that point in my life. All I knew was that we were wet and cold and I relied on my father to get us safely home. This was his responsibility and he carried it out flawlessly. We returned safely to the truck where we waited out the storm, the lowering of the creeks, and our return home to Concho. So many things could have gone wrong; however, with the knowledge and understanding of our mission my father, Charles Glenn Jacobs, was able to take us home to the safety and security of the little white house on main street in Concho. I have no idea whether dad thought about ministering angels at that time. What I do know is that they are always present and ready to lead us and guide us to right decisions.

Now, you doubters and disbelievers will say, simple coincidence. I will probably never change your minds, but you will always know that I know that God loves us. That he is real. That he is our Eternal Heavenly Father and has created a plan through which each of us may return to his presence when our time on this earth is over. Many prophets over the years, beginning with Adam, Moses, on down through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph and on our present day Prophet, Thomas S Monson, have shared their heartfelt desire to be worthy of the task; of being able to be sufficiently guided by Heaven Father to be able to “endure to the end” in serving others. My personal, sincere desire is to be able to do the same. My responsibility, just as my earthly father’s, is to shepherd my flock (my family) by sharing my absolute testimony in the existence and ever present assistance of God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.

May God bless you with enlightenment and eternal joy.

D. Duane Jacobs, Father, Grandfather, brother, cousin, uncle, and fond friend