You don't need warehouses or fundraising or transportation. You can be perfectly responsive to any need that comes to you, wherever you are. Rather than give out tangible goods in foreign locations, care for the needs that are non tangible, such as friendship, respect, peaceful dialogue, sincere interest, protective listening to children, birthday remembrances, and taking in the stranger.
If we change our perspective so that caring for the poor and needy is less about giving away stuff and more about filling the hunger for human contact, and about hearing meaningful conversation, and creating rich and positive relationships, the the Lord can send us someplace.
How are you going to help people who are poor in spirit? Can you stitch a relationship as well as you stitch a quilt? What enemy are you going to start viewing as your brother?
The Lord wants to use you. There is a work for you to do. It is specific to you and your abilities but you need to be clean so you can do it.
You are the gift. You yourself are the gift. It isn't the clothing, the hygiene kits, the school desks, the wells. It's you.
(BYU address, January 23, 2018)
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