My husband is currently in charge of helping our ward organize a “day of service”. I hate to write a negative blog post about something that hopefully will turn out positive, so I apologize ahead of time if it comes out that way.
We as Latter-Day Saints should know better than anyone how important it is to serve others. We know that it is expected of us, and yet, often, we do nothing to reach out to those around us. I am as guilty as the next person.
This “day of service” has been a struggle for my husband to organize. He has tried getting the support of other ward members, and has ended up frustrated. However, the first time he knocked on a neighbor’s (and a non-member’s) door, he got enthusiasm and excitement to participate in the project. The idea is to have people from our neighborhood participate as well, but it is seeming more and more like those non-members in our neighborhood are more enthusiastic than some of our ward members.
This is not to say that we have bad people in our ward. Quite the contrary. We have lots of loving, devoted people who work tirelessly and I’m sure are helping others constantly. Is that the problem? As members we are called on so often to visit teach, home teach, make a meal, magnify our callings and raise righteous families. Maybe we are all a little tired.
But, did the Savior rest when He was tired? The answer is clear. He was a perfect example of service at all times. He never became too weary to reach out and help, and He certainly wasn’t too tired after bleeding from every pore in the garden of Gethsemane to die for us. So of course we can do more. We can always do more.
I love this video about a ward and other community members that did just that. They came together to help one family, and they made a difference. While we may not all have the chance to save a life, we can make a difference in one. We have to constantly be reminded to step outside of ourselves, quit making excuses, and show that we will do all in our power to live like Christ did. Even if we feel like we have done enough already, we haven’t.
Related Articles:
October 2011 General Conference-
Elaine S. Dalton Address