I thought of Grandpa.

In Relief Society on Sunday, the lesson was about charity.  The definition I took away was that real charity is not something that you give away but something you acquire for yourself and that charity requires expecting the best of each other.

The question was asked… who is the most charitable person you know and the room exploded with answers. I couldn’t get a word in edgewise so I just sat there and thought about my Grandpa to myself. I have the perfect story to illustrate Charity starring one of my favorite men- My Grandpa Boyd A. Hansen.

After my divorce and Mia’s birth, I was in a very bad place emotionally and was lucky to work for a wise and accomplished man who was in a position to help me, if only I could afford his usually very expensive skills. I approached him and while we were talking and I was telling the “story of my life” he realized that he knew my family.

Rewind a whole bunch of years. My grandpa is a teacher and a builder. He has a flaky, crazy teenage son who invites his equally flaky and drug addicted friend to come work for the summer with his Dad. They work for a whole summer building together (I’m sure that was interesting) and towards the end of that year that young man has an incredible conversion experience. He reads the Book of Mormon from cover to cover in a day and a night and is convinced of its truth. He quits all the drugs cold turkey from that moment and goes on to serve a mission and to eventually grow into a highly educated and successful man who spends his career helping troubled kids in the foster care system.

Fast forward again to the day I am meeting with him and sharing how much I am struggling. He offers to help me and charge only as much as I can afford. (which is 10 bucks. Laughable.)

When I cry and ask why he is willing to do this sweet thing for me, he replies with a simple story and lesson that has stuck with me ever since.

He said- “Your Grandpa was one of the kindest men I have ever met. I was a complete pain in his butt the summer I worked with him but he was always good to me and treated me with respect. Helping you is just a way that I can thank him for that summer.”

From this I learned that the blessings of doing good never end. You can’t guess how far the results of charity and kindness might reach.

So, there’s my soapbox message for the week!