As I read through this message the image of a historical woman came to mind who ministered to so many and had a huge impact on all humanity. I am speaking of Florence Nightingale. In reading her history, it is stated that she felt that God was calling her to do some work but wasn't sure what it would be. She began to develop an interest in nursing, though her parents felt it was inappropriate for a woman of her class and background, and wanted her to fall into the mold of an upper class woman. BUT...She wanted to go to nursing school and after years, they eventually relented and was trained as a nurse. She went on to become a superintendent of a hospital for gentlewomen. That following year, the Crimean War began and there was a desperate lack of proper medical facilities for the wounded British solders. She was asked to oversee the team of nurses in the military hospitals in Turkey, where she greatly improved the conditions and actually reduced the mortality rate of the soldiers. After the war, she returned home to England, and established the Nightingale Training School for nurses. Her theories were published in "Notes on Nursing" in 1860 and became hugely influential for sanitation, military health and hospital planning, and are still in existence today.We too can become Florence Nightingales in our own way through serving the sister we teach as Visiting Teachers. Our purpose as visiting teachers is to strengthen families and homes, without waiting to be asked. The lesson states:
"In order for us to serve, we should be conscious of the needs of the sisters we visit".
This to me means that we should should develop a friendship with them, knowing their needs, their lives, their families, their heartaches, and their joys. We need to really get to know them beyond the surface, and seek to be able to get into their hearts and better still, let them know we love and care for them genuinely, and not just because we have been assigned as Visiting Teachers. From the lesson it says that we should:
"....seek inspiration, we will know how to respond to the spiritual and temporal needs of each sister we are assigned to visit".
Then, just like Florence Nightingale did in the days of her stewardship on this earth, we too should be "using our time, skills, and God given talents, in providing compassionate service for our sisters". We should provide "prayers of faith, and spiritual and emotional support during times of illness, death or other special circumstances".
We realize that we have a great responsibility for the watch care for our sisters but we are not alone in this and need to be sure to be accountable to get our reports through the proper channels, to our Relief Society President and our Bishop. The Relief Society President's focus is the sisters in our ward, but she is responsible to report to the Bishop who is ultimately responsible for all the members in the ward. Through Visiting teachers, she can know the hearts of the sisters and their families, meeting their needs, and helping the Bishop in his call to nurture individuals and families.
Do you see how valuable your service is as a Visiting Teacher?
This is my Perscription for you:
Please make an effort to be diligent with this service, and in the process make a friend of the sisters you teach. They can enrich your lives, as much as you can enrich theirs. What a blessing it is to Visit Teach. I pray we all can be a Florence Nightingale in our individual stewardship as a Visiting Teacher.
Love, Katie G
For a blank perscription and other really cute ideas to do when you visit teach this month, go to my other blog http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com
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