“I believe that most members consider service to be at the heart of their covenants and discipleship. But I also think that sometimes it’s easy to miss some of the greatest opportunities to serve others because we are distracted or because we are looking for ambitious ways to change the world and we don’t see that some of the most significant needs we can meet are within our own families, among our friends, in our wards, and in our communities. We are touched when we see the suffering and great needs of those halfway around the world, but we may fail to see there is a person who needs our friendship sitting right next to us in class.” (Bonnie L. Oscarson, “The Needs Before Us,” General Women’s Conference, October 2017)
I have been finding myself in a funk at the end of the day quite often lately. The days are busy and I have been feeling the overwhelm and feeling like I am rarely hitting the mark. I will definitely admit to being addicted to my devices, and the time wasted certainly doesn’t help me feel any better about my task list and makes me feel guilty about the things I “should” be doing. I love to help other people but between the overwhelm and the distraction I have not been doing a very good job of seeing the needs of those around me. I need to make a focused effort to put down my phone and connect with the humans around me. I know when they make the effort to connect with me it changes my day. I can do the same for them.
At the same time, I think we need to give ourselves some credit for the good that we do—even the “small” stuff. Raising children IS service. The things we do for our family members matter and make a difference. They are not insignificant and we need to stop feeling like we aren’t doing enough when we are making our best efforts.
Meditation and Journaling Prompt: List the ways you served another person today—changing diapers, feeding children, working outside the home to provide for your family—every little thing you did counts! Then make a list of other ways you can serve in your home, family, and neighborhood.
Call to Action: Choose 3 things from your list to do this week. They don’t have to be grand gestures, they can be small and simple.
Mindfulness Tip: When you feel the urge to reach for your phone today, make yourself wait 5 minutes and spend those minutes trying to be in the present moment.
