By Alison Palmer
Scripture:Luke 9:24
Song:“Have I Done Any Good?” Hymns, #223

Preparation:Obtain a picture of the boy Jesus in the temple if available. Gather paper and pen.
Prayerfully read “What Have I Done for Someone Today?” President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, November 2009, 84-87 and consider which thoughts and passages you would like to share with your family.

Lesson:

Show your family the picture of Jesus in the temple and have them help you retell the story it portrays.

Ask the family how they feel about Jesus’ actions in this story. Was he doing something good? Was everything about the story good? Explain that Jesus understood He had a very important service to give in the temple. He thought His parents understood that as well, but He forgot the kindness of making sure they knew exactly where He would be.

Still, Jesus chose to “get lost” in a very important way. He placed Himself in a position to help and touch others from the time He was a small child. This is the way Jesus lived his entire life: others around Him might not understand why He went the places He did. Some expected to find Him in places
He was not– but always, for those who knew where to look, Jesus was found where He could do the most good.

Read Luke 9:24 as a family and discuss what you think the message of the scripture might be. Then review the quote by President David O. McKay: “Man’s greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others.”

Explain that we have the same choices as Jesus did in our own lives. While it is not appropriate to be away without telling an adult where you are, it is always appropriate to lose a little bit of yourself to serving and loving others.
Discuss what types of things might be lost and those that might be found when we reach out to others.

Share President Monson’s story of Dr. McConnell.
Emphasize the types of service the doctor was able to perform at different times in his life. Just because his family was poor, it was not an excuse for not serving. When his circumstances changed, he was able to do more. No matter who we are we have the same types of opportunities and choices and we each bring our own unique gifts and talents to those situations. The challenge is to find ways to spread joy in a way that is foreign to many in the world.

If appropriate, share times within your own family when you have given a unique service or been the recipient of a thoughtful gesture. Challenge the family to find ways to create joy by getting lost in service. Consider ending each day with a review of the question, “What have I done for someone today?”

Activity:

Young Children: Play hide and seek with a service twist. Each family member must choose a hiding spot that represents a favorite way they like to serve others. (One might hide in the pantry where her baking supplies are because she likes to cook for others, another might hide under the piano because they enjoy playing for church meetings, etc.) When the person who is It finds someone, that person runs to home base. The seeker must call out what they think the other person’s service was before they reach base in order to “catch” them in the act.

Older Children: Brainstorm service ideas, create a “What can I do?” reference for your family. List as many different life challenges as you can think of, then create a list of things that can be done to help someone in that situation. Designate a spot in your home for the list where everyone can refer to it as they see someone in need but don’t know what they can do.

Treat:

Ice Cream sundaes with a variety of ice cream types and toppings. Point out that not every member will choose exactly the same treats. Discuss the importance of variety as well as individual care and concern in order to provide the sweetest service.