Service

Growing up, my parents were great examples to me. They were always willing to help others in their time of need and I was always so proud of them when I saw the way they would serve others in big and little ways.

When I was a kid, I always remembered that my mother would always be willing to help others in anyway possible. My mother always wanted to instill in my brain, the importance of service. We were never allowed to go to someone's house and sit around while others cleaned or prepared a meal. She always told us that we must always insist on giving a helping hand. We never could leave a party without helping clean up. Just like my mother, my father has has shown the importance of helping others. He would serve people in our ward, or just help some random person he saw on the street. One example was him picking up a homeless woman on the side of the street, who was asking for a ride to the other side of town. He bought her lunch and then drove her where she needed to be. When I heard this, I was really proud of what my father had done and only found out through someone else because he didn't think it was really notable to tell anyways.

These small acts were something that turned into something much bigger in my family. My siblings are all service-minded people, and it is something that has been really inspiring to me. Why I have thought of service is because I have been thinking about my calling in my ward. I have been called to serve in Nursery, and man it is tough! I really struggle with the fact that we don't get to have a Sunday School lesson and instead talk to kids all day (some who can't even talk back). When I get discouraged, I have to remind myself of the importance service that I am partaking in with the special calling of taking care of God's children. When I think about the impression I am making on their church experience, the purpose of my calling becomes even more important to me. The service is 100x more rewarding. When I was thinking about service, this scripture came to mind:

 "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."
 - Mosiah 2:17. 

The reminder of service is something I find really important in my life. I try to be better at serving others, and sometimes there isn't always an opportunity. But I know that there are small simple ways to serve others, and working hard in your calling is one of them. 

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

caroline