Put your shoulder to the wheel!

This was the first hymn that we sang in church church on Sunday. It has always been one of my favorite hymns but today it gained a whole new meaning for me. As we were singing I had tears streaming down my face and I just knew I needed to come home and go over this hymn with the kids because this is pertinent to what we are going through as a family right now!

The world has need of willing men Who wear the worker's seal
Come, help the good work move along Put your shoulder to the wheel

Put your shoulder to the wheel Push along, Do your duty with a
heart full of song, We all have work let no one shirk,Put your
shoulder to the wheel

The church has need of helping hands, And hearts that know and
feel The work to do is here for you, Put your shoulder to the wheel

Put your shoulder to the wheel, Push along Do your duty with a
heart full of song, We all have work let no one shirk Put your
shoulder to the wheel

Then don't stand idly looking on, The fight with sin is real
It will be long but must go on, Put your shoulder to the Wheel

Put your shoulder to the wheel, Push along Do your duty with a
heart full of song, We all have work let no one shirk Put your
shoulder to the wheel

Then work and watch and fight and pray, With all your might
and zeal Push every worthy work along, Put your shoulder to
the wheel

Put your shoulder to the wheel, Push along Do your duty with
a heart full of song, We all have work let no one shirk Put
your shoulder to the wheel

When I sang this today it hit me in such a personal way. As Casey is away this summer we have some goals for why we are willing to sacrifice/be diligent right now. We believe we have very righteous goals: to get out of debit (credit cards and cars), set up a savings account, establish a food storage, and put money aside for future adoptions. On a number of occasions we have sat our children down to re-establish what we are working for and to remind each other that we need to work together as a team and not lose focus of our goals.
The verse: The work to do is here for you (I have felt that our opportunity right now is huge for our family and that we really need to appreciate it and take heed of it now.
I had the kids imagine what it would be like to have to go push our van out of the road on there own. Of course they understood how difficult and impossible it would be but that if we worked together as a team and PUT OUR SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL(dug deep down with all our might) that the chances of us making it happen would be more likely together. I explained that is exactly like our summer, if we think the work is all up to dad-it would be impossible for him to do alone. We need to all work as a family to get through this summer. I also explained that a car has 4 tires and if ones blows out(stops working) than the other are soon to follow(because of the added work load and stress).If one of us stop working for this summer we will all have to stop working.

Then we get to the verse that states: It will be long and must go on. I told them this summer may seem like hard work and really long at times but this verse also tells us how to get through it. Work and watch and fight and pray With all your might and zeal Push every worthy work along Put your shoulder to the wheel. There are going to be days when we will need to support each other with a lot of hugs and kisses and prayers because we will be tested when we are working as a family to carry out our worthy work, the Lord's worthy work!

I than read D&C 58:27-28
27.Verily I say, mean should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
28.For the power is in them, where-in they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

I just wanted to take the time to share this because I realized that this can be personally applied to so many experiences, anyone may be going through at this time. I really enjoyed going through this and wanted to pass it on.