December 2017 Visiting Teaching Printable Handout

December’s visiting teaching message is about compassionately and kindly bearing one another’s burdens.

When I first read this message, I was a little bummed that it wasn’t a Christmas message. I was thinking that this month’s message would be about Christ’s birth or the gifts we can give to the Savior.

But the more I thought about, the more I came to realize that this is a great Christmas message! What better gift can we give to the Savior and to the world than kindness, compassion, and love? Helping one another, lifting each other up, and bearing each other’s burdens is probably the best way to show gratitude to the Savior for all has done for us. His whole life was about love, service, helping, and selflessness. If we can emulate him more, the world will be a bit better for it. And so will we.

And it’s hard. It’s hard to put aside what we want for the needs of others. It’s hard to mourn with others, because it makes us sad too. Sometimes we don’t want to help carry other’s burdens because we feel they don’t deserve our kindness.

But if we are to be more like the Savior, we must.

I love this quote from Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President:

“We want to use the light of the gospel to see others as the Savior does—with compassion, hope, and charity…The day will come when we will have a complete understanding of others’ hearts and will be grateful to have mercy extended to us—just as we extend charitable thoughts and words to others. …

“Our obligation and privilege is to embrace improvement in everyone as we strive to become more like our Savior.”

My goal for 2017 was kindnesss. That was my “goal word.” But I have long way to go still. In fact, it’s going to be my goal word for 2018 too.

Because it’s a struggle. I thought I was so kind until I started focusing on kindness and asking Heavenly Father to show me when I wasn’t being kind. And I saw it. I saw how easy it is to be sarcastic, cynical, or judgmental.

But I’m still working on it and I think I will be forever. But that’s not discouraging for me because I know that Heavenly Father will help me to continue improving, growing, and being more kind.

And I want to remember this scripture from Matthew 25:40:

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

When I read this in the visiting teaching message, I knew it was perfect for our printable handout! And since it is December, I had to go with a Christmas look.