Service

I moved away from home to attend college, a really long time ago. Once I got married, we were still several hours away from my parents. My/our first year or two of college I had a sibling close by. There is a lot of strength that comes from having family close. When you need a babysitter, when you need someone to spend time with, when you need help. They are your insta-friend.

I haven't had that benefit for awhile now and things can be hard sometimes. Particularly when you are really sick, have kids, pregnant and hungry, not capable of making food, and no car to get some to provide for your family. There is no 'mom, can you bring me dinner', or 'sister, please come and take my kids for a little bit', or 'can you please run to the store for me and pick up some bread and milk.' Many of you would probably think, "That's why it's so great to be a member of the church. You have visiting teachers and people all around you willing to help." I have struggled with that. I've had 2 kids, and only one meal brought to me by someone that wasn't family. I've never just dropped my kids off at someone's house before. I don't like to inconvenience people and if my visiting teacher never offers if there is anything they can do, I don't feel like I can ask.

Well, don't worry, I'm not about to bad-mouth everyone around me and throw myself a pity party. I just learned something a week ago. I was pretty much over my really sick stage, but still just tired and lots of things brought on the gag reflex. The girls I do preschool with were over at my house for preschool when one of the moms turned on our sink without my knowledge. (Our sink leaks, there was a bowl underneath that was about to overflow, so I couldn't turn on the water, and I couldn't empty it, because it makes me gag). I apologized for the dirty dishes in the sink and said I couldn't wash them because I couldn't turn on our sink. During the conversation I also mentioned I was expecting. I wasn't asking for anything, just giving my excuse for the mess. As soon as they heard that though, they immediately went to work-took everything out from underneath, cleaned up everything that had overflowed everywhere from her turning on the sink, emptied the bowl, and took the dishes home that were in the sink, that I couldn't wash, to clean and bring back to me. Wow. I didn't ask them for any of that and they just did it.

So let's be honest, I still probably don't feel comfortable asking you to watch my kids, when you already have your own and babysit another mom's who works. I probably won't ask you to bring me dinner, because I know you're struggling financially. But I will ask to borrow a diaper when my son runs out in the middle of the day. :)

It just taught me about others' willingness to serve and put others before themselves. King Benjamin taught a great discourse on service and I've been familiar with "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" that is quoted all the time. I do enjoy participating in service and had a strong testimony of that end of it. This experience taught me the other end of that service. King Benjamin also says "And behold also, if I whom ye call your king, who has spent his days in your service, and yet has been in the service of God, do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly king." (Mosiah 2:16,19) I was sure to thank the girls that helped me, but its important to remember to thank our Heavenly Father as well when we receive those things.