Get out there and Serve!

I’m Trying to Be like Jesus

I’m trying to be like Jesus, I'm following in his ways. I'm trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say. At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice, But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers, "Love one another as Jesus loves you. Try to show kindness in all that you do. Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought, For these are the things Jesus taught."

I'm trying to love my neighbor; I'm learning to serve my friends. I watch for the day of gladness when Jesus will come again. I try to remember the lessons he taught. Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts, saying: "Love one another as Jesus loves you. Try to show kindness in all that you do. Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought, For these are the things Jesus taught."

As we began thinking about ward goals as a ward council, the words to this song kept coming to my mind.  I began thinking about many of you, your homes and all of the different, very difficult situations many of you are facing.  What kind of goals should we propose that would help increase our testimonies of the savior, give us strength to face and endure the challenges, and not be “just another thing” on the long list of things that are asked of us as members of the church.

The Bakers had just given a presentation to the ward council on the new Just Serve website.  And I’ll be completely honest, I wasn’t too thrilled about it.  Justin and I had tried to use it around Christmas time, and there just wasn’t anything on there that would work for our little family.

But I kept thinking of the words of this song and asking myself, “what do I do when I’m trying to be like Jesus?”  and the answer was always.  Get outside of your self and Serve.

Jesus was ALWAYS about his fathers business serving others.  Weather he was serving by teaching in the temple, or healing the sick, or breaking bread to feed the masses.  He was always serving those around him.  And it brought him great joy. 

One of my very favorite stories of Christ serving is when he took the time to teach the woman at the well.  He was so very tired. He had been traveling and just wanted to get a drink.  But there was a woman there who was a Samaritan, whom the Jews didn’t deal with.  But he saw her just as a child of god and asked for drink.  She was confused that he would be talking to her.  He could have ignored her.  He could have just demanded a drink and continued on his way.  But instead he spoke kindly to her and taught her about living water.  Sometimes just being kind and giving our time to someone is the very best kind of service.

 I knew a goal we needed as a Ward was to draw closer to the Savior by serving as he did.  When we are about our fathers business, serving our fellow man, not only does it draw us closer to him, but it helps us see past ourselves and our own problems.

I like to share personal stories when I give talks and lessons.  Anyone who has been in Relief Society in the last few years knows this. Lol  So I asked Justin if he could help me remember any times where either we were served or we were serving someone else and it blessed us, and helped us through something.  He reminded me of 2 such times.

I have struggled my entire life to make friends.  Just not one of my gifts I guess.  But, some of my dearest friends in this life I have made by serving complete strangers.  I was a young stay at home mom with 2 toddlers.  Any of you who are in the thick of it right now know how lonely that can be.  Well It was a time when online forums were just getting big.  Before Facebook, that seems like a million years ago.  I had joined a county wide message board for young moms.  It was great for an online escape for adult interaction by talking to other young moms and we would have outings around town a few times a month.  One day, one of the moms (who was single) posted that she was being put on complete bedrest with a feeding tube and needed help cleaning and other various household chores.  I had only met her once and we were complete opposites and didn’t necessarily live the same standards I did.  But I also knew what it was like to be on bedrest, especially when you have other kids at home.  This was her 3^rd.   I decided I could help her on the days Millie was at preschool and Maddie could come with me and it would get me out of the house and outside of myself.  I went and helped her clean and run simple errands a couple of times a week for months.   We became the best of friends.  We were a blessing to each other in the very hours we needed each other.  We still walk different paths of life.  But through that service, we were able to see beyond that and be the friend we both didn’t know we were seeking.

Another experience, we had just recently begun going to a new ward in Georgia.  I was going through a very raw time emotionally, and our marriage was going through a rough patch.  Again I found myself in a very lonely and isolated state.  One afternoon I had just attended a mid day ward volleyball game at the church, and afterwards a wedding reception being set up.  I had a few hours until my kids were out of school so I decided to stay and help.  I stood at the ironing board ironing table cloths and chair covers for hours.  The mother of the groom kept coming over and thanking me, and asking me my name.  She was just blown away that I didn’t even know them and I was helping so much. But for me, it was a much needed escape from all that was troubling in my personal life.  I had lost myself in that remedial task of ironing.  Her daughter, whom I had met one other time at a RS Enrichment night, became my best friend.  Again, in a time when I needed a friend the most.  Whenever it was brought up how we became such fast friends, it always came back to me ironing tablecloths for a bunch of people I didn’t know.

These are just a couple of times when I was trying to be like Jesus that enriched my own life.  But what does service look like for you?  Does it have to always be some big service project?  NO.  Can it be? Yes.  What about serving in smaller ways?  Like making your bed before your parents ask, or doing the dishes when it’s not your turn?  Maybe taking in a few grocery carts when you’re going in the store anyway.  Maybe cutting your onry neighbors lawn or bringing in garbage cans. There are hundreds of ways we can serve others like the Savior did.

As a ward, one of our goals is to Just get out there and serve.  Get outside of ourselves and serve like the Savior.  Be anxiously engaged in serving our fellow man, both in and outside of the ward.  Serve our Home and Visiting teaching families by knowing them.  So when there are times that they need service they know who you are, and you are already serving them.  We also would like to have a goal for each family or individual to participate once a quarter in service through avenues such as Just Serve, ward/stake service projects or community service measures. 

I have a firm testimony of serving as the Savior did.  I know not only will it bless others, but I have seen time and time again it bless me even more.  It’s awesome how Heavenly Father does that.  I promise you, that as you get outside of yourself and be the blessing someone else is looking for, things will look brighter. 

I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and my testimony of my Savior.  And that he gives me opportunities to be more like him. 

In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.