Service

So this past weekend has been super busy for my little family and I, but I've learned a interesting lesson. Levi and I were asked to be in charge of the food at our ward Christmas party. We fed just under 500 people. I've got to tell you though that it wasn't easy, and a good eye opener. We had asked 3 wards to volunteer with our Christmas party. All of them turned us down, and now I can understand why. They all felt that the service wouldn't be returned to them and they were right. Out of 500 people, there were minimal volunteers for anything. Even the kitchen for most of the evening it was Levi and I with his parents, and three others from our ward. That was it for volunteers for 500 out of 500. We did all this well taking care of Joclyn as well.

What astonished me most was the response to our service from some of the members. We had one gentleman who was rather rude to everyone but me (I wasn't in the kitchen during this time). The first thing he did was walk up to my father in law after receiving his food and telling him that we needed more people carving roast. My father in law turned to him and said "well then grab a knife and start cutting," we had asked for volunteers to do this yet the day before I was calling the bishopric to beg them to carve. This man wasn't at all pleased with this response but my father in law didn't stay to chat he was to busy. So this man proceeds to the kitchen to demand "his" mashed potatoes because he is lactose intolerant. My hubby is trying to get roast out fast enough and my mother in law was doing gravy and feeding my daughter dinner. So she turns to him and says the potatoes are in the corner you can go look for them. He replies with well get them for me. Both my hubby and mother in law turn to him with  looks on there faces so he says well I'll just go without then and turns to leave. My mother in law looks at him and says really you could not walk two feet lift up the blanket and get yourself some potatoes! He didn't reply back just took his potatoes and left. On his way out my hubby proceeded to give him a name I will not repeat. Meanwhile I was trying to get dessert out. We had gotten enough out (with difficulty!) for the masses and I was proceeding to refill the tables, when one gentleman comes up to me and says why aren't you going any faster! I was doing this alone. So I turned to him and said "I'm doing this alone, if you want it any faster pick some up and get to work!" So to my surprise he did. Not for long he did maybe 10 plates and then picked up two plates and started to walk away. Just before he left he looked at my with this rude grin on his face so I called him a jerk. The Guidi family was on a role that night. Apparently we don't want to make to many friends in our ward.

When I got time to get back in the kitchen Levi was ready to tear someone's head off. We had only had one person come in and ask if we needed help and she was doing dishes. So I went into the gym and found our relief society president. I told her that we hadn't eaten and needed a break. So she found help and proceeded to kick my family out of the kitchen. So we ate, finally. I think the worst part of the whole ordeal was the fact that I had to go ask for help from our ward. I thought that we are taught as members to serve one another. I now understand why the other wards didn't feel like their service would be returned. Our ward won't serve one another why would they serve other wards. I'm not saying everyone in the ward is that way, but to the looks of it a lot of the ward feels they are above serving others. It was very hurtful to find out that we've been taught all our lives to be charitable and to find ways to give service. Even the prophet talked of this last night at the devotional. Yet there are members who feel they don't need to.

I'm grateful to all those who helped and to those who made and brought food. They did what we asked them to do and what we needed. I will forever be grateful for those who helped. As my hubby put it though we will never volunteer our services to those who do not appreciate or care for the services rendered to them. At least we won't be making our ward Christmas diner ever again.