Visiting Teaching: A Window to God's Love for Me

I just had a tender epiphany with regards to visiting teaching.

I was praying for each my sisters, by name and out loud...something I don't do very often, sadly.  As I did it, the challenges that were either before or within each sister came to mind.  As I prayed about one sister in particular, I reflected as I have so often on how similar the two of us are in areas that I am particularly weak.  The seemingly frustrating shortcomings that I see in her (the motes) I have come to see are huge beams in my own personality.  I have seen in the past how loving her despite those traits have been gateways to loving myself despite those same weaknesses; loving her (and myself) while she has the weakness and not just after she conquers it.

As I reflected on that this morning once again, my mind's eye opened and I saw those challenges of my sisters (bitterness, busy-ness, independence, frustration with limits, etc.) were all reflections of things I struggle with.  Immediately the Spirit brought to my mind the scripture shared by the missionaries in our home last night:

Moroni 7: 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

It came to my mind last night as we shared this scripture that as we seek to love like God, truly love others as He would, we will feel His great love for them.  And as we feel this great love, we will not approach the throne of God with fear and trembling but we shall look up at His face and see that same love for us that we felt for others, that same love that:

...suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things...(verse 45)

 We shall be eager to see our God, knowing how much He loves us in spite of our many weaknesses, just as we have shown an imperfect version of that love to our fellowmen.

I saw a connection with those I visit teach!!  When I come to love and reach out and accept those who struggle with those same things that I struggle with, I will be more accepting of my Father's love to me in those same scenarios.  I felt immediate confirmation that those sisters that I am called on to visit were truly and incredibly and perfectly inspired for me, individually.  As I come to love them, I will come to understand and see more clearly God "for him as he is,"  a merciful and loving God to all those who seek His face.

Visiting teaching?  Do I have time for it?  Now more than ever.  Is it important? Again, in more ways now that ever before.  For I am not only reaching out with the Lord's hands in love to others but I now realize that I am coming to understand more fully God's love for me.