Serving Others

“We Never Walk Alone”

In the 2013 Relief Society General Broadcast, President Monson ‘s talk rung home to thoughts and feelings that I have been considering for quite some time. I have chosen some of my favorite parts to share on this blog:

“We were not placed on this earth to walk alone. What an amazing source of power, of strength, and of comfort is available to each of us. He who knows us better than we know ourselves, He who sees the larger picture and who knows the end from the beginning, has assured us that He will be there for us to provide help if we but ask. We have the promise: ‘Pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good.’”

In his address, President Monson shared a story about a woman named Tiffany whose many stresses and responsibilities in life had caused her to slip into feelings of despair and depression. When it seemed that her circumstances and feelings would not lift, a woman that Tiffany hardly knew showed up at her door with a homemade loaf of bread. President Monson then summed up this woman’s experience by saying:

“And so it happened that the Lord sent a virtual stranger across town to deliver not just the desired homemade bread but also a clear message of love to Tiffany. What happened to her cannot be explained in any other way. She had an urgent need to feel that she wasn’t alone—that God was aware of her and had not abandoned her. That bread—the very thing she wanted—was delivered to her by someone she barely knew, someone who had no knowledge of her need but who listened to the prompting of the Spirit and followed that prompting. It became an obvious sign to Tiffany that her Heavenly Father was aware of her needs and loved her enough to send help. He had responded to her cries for relief.”

 An Unforgettable Service

For me, last December was very similar to the stressful winter the year before, but with the addition of more responsibilities. At this time I had two jobs, I was one of the three officers of Dance Company, I was a member of Seminary Council, and I was attempting to keep up my schoolwork and piano lessons while attending a ballet studio. My busy senior year in high school was a mixture of running to early morning seminary, to school, to dance, to work, and then back again without a moment to breathe. One cold afternoon I rushed to the grocery store after school in order to purchase items to fulfill several of the responsibilities I carried at the time, as well as a few necessities that I required to take care of myself. I approached the cash register to pay for my things, only to discover that my debit card was not in my wallet. I had left it in a different purse that I used for Winter Formal the weekend before. I only had a ten-dollar bill with me at the moment, which was not enough to pay for the things that I needed to buy.  I knew that I would have to leave my groceries there to rush home to grab my card, but I was running late for a rehearsal and my car was very low on gas. This knowledge sent an overwhelming sense of anxiety over me, and I couldn’t’ help but feel that I was utterly alone against everything I needed to do. At that exact moment, a woman from my home ward saw me and came over simply to say hello when she discovered my predicament. I was mortified to admit that I would have to leave some of my groceries there simply because I did not have the means to pay for everything right there and then. She immediately insisted on helping me, allowing me to hand my ten dollars to the cashier before she paid the difference.

Although this woman sacrificed a small amount of money for my sake that could easily be paid back, I can never repay her for what she did that day. In the midst of my hectic schedule and pile of burdens, she has shown me that God will send people to us when we need it the most, when we feel the most alone, and when we cannot recognize our own worth. This woman who recognized me, came to say hello, and then served me with a smile, gave me a perspective on my own self worth as well as my worth in the sight of God and others.

“And They Did Fellowship One With Another”

This past Tuesday at Brigham Young University, Neal Cox gave an address at the weekly devotional concerning the phrase “And they did fellowship one with another.” Brother Cox admonished us to reach out to others instead of keeping to ourselves. He explained that if we stepped outside of our own world and did something for others, then we would not feel lonely, and we would be able to find true happiness. What most stuck out to me during his talk is this: “As you care less about what others think of you, you will care more about how others think about themselves.” This comment has made me consider how important it is to reach out to others.

Not only is it important for us to reach out to others to cure our own loneliness, it is more important to reach out to others to cure their loneliness.  Perhaps I can help another person the way one woman helped me. Now that someone has shown me my worth, it is time to help others recognize their own worth.

This week I challenge you as a reader to help someone remember how important he or she is to you and our Heavenly Father. This could be through service, a compliment, or even a smile to a stranger passing by. Doing so will help ourselves, but more importantly help others.

XOXO Hardy

Monson, Thomas, S. "We Never Walk Alone." General Relief Society Broadcast. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Utah, Salt Lake City. 28 Sep 2013.