Each Life That Touches Ours for Good

I love Karen Lynn Davidson's text in the hymn, "Each Life That Touches Ours for Good." The first verse reads:

"Each life that touches ours for good
Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;
Thou sendest blessings from above
Thru words and deeds of those who love."

During the last week or so, I've reflected on those words many times and have thought of some of the people that have touched my life "for good." One of those people is President Gordon B. Hinckley, late president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I didn't know him personally, but I felt his love each time I heard him speak or read his words. He was the man who asked us all to "stand a little taller" and to "be a little better." His perpetual optimism, almost super-human capacity for work, his vision, and his tireless service have been great examples and sources of motivation for me.

Another person who influenced me for good was a man, Truman Carver, who passed away at age 92 just a few days after President Hinckley died. Truman and Vivian, his wife, lived in our ward (Kaysville 10th Ward) for many years. He was especially kind to me, and we shared the same birthday. Truman always made a point to thank me and compliment me each time I spoke in church. His encouraging words and kindness inspired me to give my best efforts in preparing and presenting my church "talks." Truman was well-known and admired for his hard work in raising and training horses, and for his meticulous house and yard, but to me he is best known for his kindness. I wonder if Truman ever knew how much I appreciated him.

I could fill up pages listing all of the wonderful people who have influenced my life for good. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family, great relatives and amazing friends. I try to remember to express my love and appreciation to them frequently. I can and must do better in verbalizing my gratitude.

There is another group of people who have influenced my life for good that will probably never know of their influence in my life or my appreciation for their words. These are the writers of so many books I've read. I am an avid reader and have an extensive library of all sorts of books. To many, it may seem that I spend too much money buying books, but books are my friends, and their words are treasures. Besides, I write in my books, and librarians don't appreciate extraneous marks in their books. In my next several blog "posts" I plan to share some of the words I've underlined in various books that mean so much to me. Lee Shippey captured my sentiments in the following statement: "The right book at the right time may mean more in a person's life than anything else."