Small World

So yet again I'm discovering how small a world it is, especially in the church. So today I did a little bit of facebook stalking I guess you could say... I saw that a friend from my first ward up on campus was in a relationship. So I decided to go to the guy's profile to just see what kind of guy she was dating. On his profile I also found a link to his blog. . . Yes I wasn't kidding when I said I was a facebook stalker. I've got to say I am totally impressed by this guy's blog. It appears that he's a convert to the church and served his mission in Ogden, Utah.

He had a posting on there about the movie Blindside and then compared the difference that the family in that movie had made for Micheal Oher. Then he talked about a family that had done a similar thing for him, just by welcoming him into their home and treating him like another member of their family. He had gone to day one of a weekend debate tournament or something for school and had needed a ride home. So he had asked a guy for a ride home. Since they'd be going back to the same place the next day his friend just offered to have him stay overnight and they could ride back the next morning. This was how Jared had got invited into the home of the Hydes'. He got to know the family and then the next school year he ended up having several classes with one of the sons. And he just really got to know this family and he was welcomed like another son.

The funny thing is that Jared, grew up and was introduced to the Church in Memphis, Tennessee. And the family that he was talking about were the Hydes. Well as I read on he ended up talking about the different members of that family and the impact they'd each had on his life and one of the members of that family was Ben Hyde, who strangely enough was the 2nd year teacher who ended up being my cooperating teacher at Jefferson Elementary where I did my practicum.

I just find it really funny that with a guy that I'll probably never meet, that I've actually got at least 2 connections with him. - My friend who's dating him and Ben Hyde. But because I found this guys' blog I was also able to find a link to Ben's blog. Where I got to see pictures of his precious cute little girl! He wife was about 4ish months along when I was helping out in his classroom. And now his baby is like 3ish months?

Also while I was on this guy's blog there were several likes to his favorite youtube videos that had made a difference on his life. And I found this one that I'd seen a couple of times before as well, entitled Small and Simple things. One of my old roommates had shown us this clip for FHE one night and everytime I see it it just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

It just reminds me of what a difference each of us can make in the lives of those around, whether we serve a mission or not. The missionaries ultimately taught this guy the gospel, but they play a small part compared to what happened before or what should happen after the missionaries taught and baptized him.

I hope that I have the opportunity to share the Gospel as a missionary, but if not I know that there are a lot of opportunities to share the Gospel just by example and being a friend. So often I think the friendship aspect is missed and new members are brought into the church and they're name is added to the ward roster solely for the purpose of another tally mark to say look we had this many baptisms.

The Church should not be this way. People should be our friends and welcomed and invited out to things whether or not they are interested in the church. You never know what kind of influence you might have on someone, but you also shouldn't be interested in their friendship just because you want to get them baptized.
And this guy Jared, who's blog I had found, I know that the Hyde family had welcomed him into their home, not because they saw him as a potential convert, but because they truely loved and cared for him as a friend. It was their example I think that taught him more of the precepts of the gospel than any missionary could ever fit into a series of discussions.

I encourage each of us to teach and share the Gospel through friendship and example.