In his April 2010 General Conference address You Are My Hands, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf stated, “True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long—we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it—but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but ‘sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.’”
Brother Stephen Hulbert of the Ellsworth Ward put the love of the Savior into action this Christmas. *Lizzie, a single mother of six children living in the small town of Holopaw, was in a difficult situation. Upon learning of this family’s circumstances through a mutual acquaintance, Brother Hulbert felt a strong spiritual impression that he needed to find a way to take care of this family. Inviting Lizzie and her children over for dinner seemed like a great place to start.
As time progressed, Stephen felt there was more he could do. Why not make sure this family had more than their basic needs met?
A simple text message thread began, and within an hour hundreds of dollars had been raised to gift to Lizzie and her children. As Stephen’s family, friends, and ward members heard of his efforts, they volunteered to buy gifts for each of the children. Brother Hulbert felt so humbled at the outpouring of love for a family so few really knew. “It was really cool and really fun to be used by the Lord” in such a profound and unexpected way, he related.
By Christmas Eve, Brother Hulbert had raised over $1500 in gift cards and cash to give to Lizzie, as well as a small truckload of gifts. Dressed in a Santa suit and accompanied by the tallest elf you’ve ever seen (Michael Bravato), Brother Hulbert delivered this beautiful Christmas miracle to a family truly loved by the Savior. The children were surprised, excited, and grateful as Santa and his elf presented them with their gifts. They may have recognized their special Santa, but His hands are what they saw.
As Elder Uchtdorf concludes, “Christ knows how to minister to others perfectly. When the Savior stretches out His hands, those He touches are uplifted and become greater, stronger, and better people as a result.
“If we are His hands, should we not do the same?”
*Name has been changed to protect privacy
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