Service

I have had a burning desire to serve. As the laziness of my days kick in, I usually disregard the urge to find service. Call it what you will, but I think I can find time to lend a hand or two. As this thought keeps creeping into my mind, I read this quote the other day:

Perhaps when we face our Maker, we will not be asked, "How many positions did you hold?" but rather, "How many people did you help?"

This quote definitely struck a chord- YES- how many people, Skye, have you helped lately? Let's face it; I am still in a very selfish time of my life. I focus on my work, I focus on food that will sustain me, I focus on my workouts, I focus on my car (that breaks down all the time), I focus on how much sleep I get, etc. Now, I am not going to ultimately say that I am so self-involved that I don't care about other people or their needs- I mean, working in the Public Health field gives me an advantage in being able to help people. However, I want to go beyond my public service and sincerely help others.  

I think being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints allows me to ponder on this notion quite often. In fact, I just had a lesson about service this past Sunday. Here's the kicker, though: I learn about SERVICE all the time (repetitious lessons are key to learning), but what needs to happen is the ACTION. Where is the action? It's one thing to know about service, but another to actually do it. 

This week, I made a goal to make a positive change in my life. I decided to find service...I mean REALLY find some service. You want to know what's great about making this goal???? I have found numerous opportunities to serve. I get to help out a sister in my ward that needs a place to stay; I get to help clean the church building; I was able to get into contact with a friend that needs a pick-me-up. 

These might not be grandiose opportunities, but they will surely make a difference in my (self-centered) life. Cliché as this sounds, helping others, helps me. Service gives me purpose; gives me a sense of duty. Will I always being willing to serve and overcome my laziness- I hope so! But, I might fall off the wagon. This will be a lifelong goal...kind of like staying healthy or reading the scriptures. I might not always be 100% at achieving my goal, but I can keep trying to improve my life…so when the time comes to answer the question of, "How many people did I help?” I won't be able to give a definite number because there were too many!