Extra Helping

by Chace Randall

Dad could see that Tom needed us, so he sent me to offer a hand—with a plate in it.

My dad was the home teacher to an older, single man in our ward named Tom. He was very quiet, and the only time you would see him was when he was walking to the post office or the store.

One day my dad suggested that one way we could be better home teachers would be to take dinner to Tom every Sunday. He suggested that I be the one to deliver the dinner to him. At first, I didn’t want to because I didn’t know what to say or what he might say in return. I knew I had to, so I took a deep breath and walked to his door and handed him the plate of food.

For the first couple of months, he didn’t say anything. That was five years ago. We still take him dinner every Sunday and on holidays. He is still quiet, but he talks to us and says thank you and waves every time we see him.

Since then, my dad has been called as bishop. He has tried to teach the whole ward to serve others. I now have the privilege of taking dinner not only to Tom but also to five other people in the ward. My dad taught me the meaning of the scripture in Matthew 25:40: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Photography by Craig Dimond