Compassionate Service - how can you help?

One of the things I love about human beings is the inherent quality we each seem to have to serve.  Just this last week I watched as my 1 year old niece rushed to comfort her 8 month old cousin who was crying.  She hurried as fast as her little legs could carry her and gave him one of the most comforting things to her, her binki :)  I believe that everyone, no matter their age, continues to have a deep desire to serve those around them.  As we get older though the demands for our time grow and grow and we may feel that we struggle to find the time to serve others around us.  Yes, it is important to do those big service projects that come up from time to time, but I believe that it is the small, seemingly insignificant, things we do that can make the largest impact in the world.  

The following video illustrates this beautifully using dominoes and a from a quote from President Spencer W. Kimball.

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/topics/service?lang=eng

So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving mundane help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow from mundane acts and from small but deliberate deeds! ~President Spencer W. Kimball

Within our ward there are countless little things that our sisters and brothers are struggling with and could use a little bit of help.  We all know that when we are having a tough day sometimes a little smile, even if we hardly know the person, can turn things around for us.  As a compassionate service committee we have come up with a couple of ways for us to first, know what would best help our sisters in times of trial and second, to organize our relief effort.

If you haven’t done so yet we would love for you to complete a simple form about your food likes and dislikes so that if circumstances arise for you where you suddenly need help we can better provide the tailored aid you need http://goo.gl/forms/O3UKPSmCK7 .

The second part of this effort is to provide the aid to our sisters around us.  We all know and have seen the truth of the statement “many hands make light work”  This is especially true for service.  When someone is in need of a meal it doesn’t take much for us to provide one meal.  If I’m needing to cook every night, then it can become a little overwhelming.  We have created a google doc that will help us coordinate our service effort: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1V0iLDL6lXqnOYElm8sTnyJEQTNO57UqazJW1fvZKNw8/edit?usp=sharing

On this you will notice several tabs at the bottom that will direct you to sign ups for different kinds of service.  From meals that need to be delivered, to rides that are needed, to larger service projects that will come up from time to time there is something for everyone to do to serve.

Thank you sisters for everything you do on a daily basis to make the world around you a better place.  We love and admire you for the lives you are leading.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to better serve you.

Tanya Gale, Compassionate Service Committee

Why Compassionate Service?

A quick search in the scriptures for the word "compassion" leads us to several references, most of which describe our Savior being moved with or by compassion for people he then blesses and/or serves. 

The word means "with-suffering" or to suffer with (another). When we serve our brothers and sisters are we suffering with them? In other words, does our service to other people mean that we share their burdens? As we yoke ourselves to others, do we "...mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" as we read in Mosiah 18:9? Yes! 

And what influence does that have on our lives? Not only is service with compassion one of the best, most effective, and quickest ways to find relief from our own sufferings and fill us with gratitude, it is one of the clearest ways we can share our testimonies of the Savior. If you continue with verse 9 of Mosiah, we read that this behavior is one way in which we "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life." 

That's quite a promise! What a privilege it is to have our God in Heaven trust us with this life-saving work! The world is full of people whose loads seem too heavy to bear, who are heartbroken or sick, poor or lonely, stressed or despairing, and are in need of our love and help. No one of us can do it all, but we can all do something. Each of us can do our part and offer what we can, whether it's a listening ear, a much-needed hug, a ride somewhere, a welcome meal, a lesson, a smile, a skill shared, or whatever it is we have to give. 

Sometimes, sisters, we may genuinely feel that we cannot fit one more thing in our schedules, or can't keep the tears out of our eyes long enough to have a conversation with another person because of the difficult trials we are facing ourselves. In those times, could we allow ourselves to seek out and accept help from another? Could you invite another to suffer with you, knowing that both parties may be blessed? By emulating Jesus Christ as we serve each other, not only can we find relief from our own pain, but forgiveness for our sins as we help to lift and bless each other.

Thank you for all you do for each other, your friends and families, and the larger communities you are a part of. I feel privileged to be numbered among you. See Mosiah 2 and Romans 12 for some elegant and powerful words about the power of service to save.

Carrie Cox, Compassionate Service Co-chair