Discipleship...

Discipleship.... I am so thankful for a wonderful community. I feel so blessed to be part of a group of people that think larger than themselves. We have had a horrific accident here in Auburn, a car went into our local river, and two out of the three in the car lost their lives. The unfortunate circumstance is that these bodies have been stuck in the river with the car, because it is to unsafe to retreive them. The family is camping out at the river's edge, waiting for their loved ones to be free from the river...I can't even imagine their pain. What I do understand is Discipleship...members of my church have gathered around this tragedy and offered amazing support and assistance, I have called friends who are not of our faith, and they have generously donated funds and food to take to the family at the river. Two especially wonderful people are Mindy and Andrea. They are working together to make phone calls and have personally rallied the community. There have been donations from local stores and restaurants feeding over 50 people every day since Friday Nov. 7th! I have been able to be a small part and am grateful for the opportunity to serve. When much is given much is required... we have been so blessed; I feel happy to serve in any way I can.

Here are a few quotes from a talk I really enjoyed about Discipleship by Elder Neal A. Maxwell.
When Jesus took upon Himself the heavy, atoning yoke in order to redeem all mankind by paying the agonizing price for our sins, Jesus also volunteered to take upon Himself additional agony in order that He might experience and thus know certain things “according to the flesh,” namely human sicknesses and infirmities and human griefs, including those not associated with sin (see Alma 7:11–12). Therefore, as a result of His great Atonement, Jesus was filled with unique empathy and with perfect mercy.
In turn, Jesus has asked us to “take my yoke upon you, and learn of me” (Matt. 11:29). So the taking of Jesus’ yoke upon us constitutes serious discipleship. There is no greater calling, no greater challenge, and no greater source of joy—both proximate joy and ultimate joy—than that which is found in the process of discipleship. This process brings its own joys and reassurances. We must not, however, expect the world to understand or to value our discipleship; they will not. In a way, they may admire us from afar, but they will be puzzled about the priorities resulting from our devotion.
In this precious process, the more we do what Jesus did—allow our wills to be “swallowed up in the will of the Father”—the more we will learn of Jesus (Mosiah 15:7). This emulation directly enhances our adoration of Jesus.
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matt. 25:40).
http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=301589