Compassionate Service

So I've been the 2nd counselor in our ward's Relief Society for a good two months now.  Most parts are enjoyable, some parts are not.  Lots of work, lots of thinking, lots of worrying over our sisters, lots of scheduling and negotiating and hashing things out, and lots and lots of praying.

It's been a learning experience, to say the least.

I've always joked that I could never be RS president because I am just not a naturally compassionate person.  This is still true.  But I'm working on it.  (Have you heard/read president Eyring's message from the last conference, "Bind Up Their Wounds"?  An amazing message about compassion.)

Last weekend, after helping at a wedding for 5 hours, a good friend of mine and I joked about how we just aren't those people who naturally want to serve others.  We need a little push in that direction, and then we still don't always really and truly want to do it - we do it and it's hard because it's work and not true compassionate service.  I'm working on this as well.

In fact, tonight I really learned a lesson about compassionate service.  I didn't go out and serve anyone or show any great acts of faith.  Instead, our RS president and I just visited a couple of sisters in the ward.

The second sister we visited turned 86 years old today.

She is amazing.

We spent an hour chatting, with her telling us all about her life: where she grew up, how she converted to the church, all about her children and family, how life is different now compared to 50 years ago, the mission she and her husband served in Greece, what life was like during WWII.  It was really, really interesting.  (And it really made me miss my Grandma Roper - this lovely sister reminded me so much of her!)  (I just realized that last sentence made it sound like Grandma Roper passed away.  She is alive and well.  But I still miss her because she lives so far away.)

You could tell this sister just needed a good audience, and Sarah and I were more than willing to oblige.  By the end of the evening I was in love with her and totally willing to help her out in any way that she needed.

On the way home I thought about this.  I thought about how it's so much easier to have compassion for people that you know and love.  I thought about how I've been praying to have more compassion, and how this still seems to be a struggle for me sometimes.  (That dang natural man!!)  Maybe what I should work on first is getting to really know and love the sisters in our ward, and then compassion will come more naturally.  Making an effort to visit them is one way to do this, but another, better way is through serving them.

I think this could be cyclical in nature: the more I serve, the more I grow to love, and the more compassion I feel, and then the more I'm willing to serve.  I just need to jump in somewhere in this cycle and get to work!

I feel really blessed to be in this calling.

p.s.  Giant kudos to Lance for supporting me in this.  Sometimes we're like to ships passing in the night: he comes home and I kiss him goodbye and head out the door.  I'm gone more often than not at bedtime, which everyone knows is the worst time to be at home. Lance, you're the best.  I love you.