When I was little, I once picked up a maple leaf and gave it to my mom as a gift. At the time, I believed it was the most beautiful and precious thing I could offer.
Looking back, it was only one of countless leaves scattered along the roadside—an ordinary leaf that no one would notice even if it disappeared.
And yet, my mom still keeps it. For more than twenty years, that maple leaf has rested between the pages of her Truth Book.
I realize now that what my mom truly kept was the memory behind it—the little child who thought of her, carefully choosing the prettiest leaf and holding it tightly in both hands, afraid it might be lost before it could be given to her.
Though it may seem to have no value to others, to my mom it is a treasure beyond measure.
Perhaps this is why our Heavenly Parents treasure even the smallest sincerity we offer. They see the effort we make to humble ourselves, to sacrifice, and to transform in beautiful ways so that we may resemble Them.
They must also see the loving heart with which we guide our lost heavenly brothers and sisters until they return.
To our Heavenly Parents, we are precious and irreplaceable—each one deeply needed. Even the smallest sincerity we offer is enough.
