The Spirit of Service

1. There was next to no traffic on the way to work.

2. Cam was excited to see me today.

3. We celebrated my brother in law's birthday, which means cake. 

Each and every day I strive more and more to be like my Savior, Jesus Christ. And you know what? His footsteps are not always the easiest to follow in! There is so much I need to work on in my life, and one of my main focuses now is serving others.

I work as a CNA at one of the hospitals in the Salt Lake Valley, and I seriously love it. I work in the acute rehab unit, and I typically get to work with the same patients for a couple of weeks. It's amazing to watch our patients recover from a major surgery or a severe stroke. Watching their progress is so incredibly rewarding, and by far the best part of the job. I enjoy working as a CNA because even though I am earning a paycheck, I feel like I am serving the people around me. 

Several scriptures encourage us to serve others. One of my favorites is found in Mosiah 2:17. It reads, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." To have the opportunity to serve our Heavenly Father in this life seems to be only something we could dream of, but that scripture specifically tells us that by serving others, we are truly serving our Heavenly Father. I find this scripture very relateable. When someone goes out of their way to play with my child or to make him happy, It makes me happy. Or when someone does something kind for my husband, I get a piece of that kindness. I think that it is because I love Camden and Chase, and their happiness makes me happy. The love Heavenly Father has for each of us is unfathomable. Imagine the joy it brings him we when are serving each other, it's like he gets a bit of that service as well.

Serving others is one thing, but allowing others to serve us is another. For me, that's the hardest part. I have always been a very independent person and I don't receive help from others very well, nor do I ever ask for it. But shouldn't we be encouraging others to serve us because we know the blessings that come from it? I am learning how to be open to this very concept. 

Earlier this month, I had born my testimony during sacrament meeting. During my brief time behind the pulpit, I told my ward family a summary of the challenge Chase and I are going through. I shared this with the intent to encourage others to seek Christ's love and help during any kind of trial. I didn't talk about Bliss because I wanted people to help me. But guess what, that has been the repercussion. And why is that a bad thing? Why do I let my pride get in the way of others trying to become more Christ like? 

My little sister shared a few scriptures with me that helped put things into perspective. When Christ was suffering in the garden of Gethsemane, he asked his disciples to pray for him. In the book of Mark 14:32-34 it says, "32- And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. 33- And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; 34- And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch." Christ reached out to his disciples and asked for their help. He asked them to serve him. When we ask for the help of others, essentially we become more Christlike.

I think the blessings are equal when we serve others and when we allow others to serve us. Service, whether giving or receiving, brings us closer to Christ, and makes us more like him. At the end of the day, that is the ultimate goal. I am only human, and a prideful one at that, but bit by bit that pride is being set aside as I allow those around me to draw closer to their Savior through service.