Good Morning!
For those of you who don't know (which is probably many), I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, of which I have been called as a Relief Society Secretary. All of the callings in this church are service oriented, unpaid jobs, that fulfill needs and uplift not only other members of the church but also the person with the calling. I love my calling, even though I may not feel like I am doing everything I probably "should" be doing; I do feel I am doing all I need to/ able to be doing.
A year ago I didn't have a calling and I wasn't offered one because it simply wasn't the right time. (Click here to see my previous post). I couldn't have handled a calling at that moment and I'm glad I wasn't even offered one. At the beginning of this year -after I had worked past some of my struggles- my thoughts began to change. I was beginning to WANT to contribute, I wanted to know others in our ward better, I was wanting to be accomplished with a small thing outside of the home, and I was wanting to learn (and THAT my friends is the key to life- getting yourself into a position to want to learn about everything even if you have your own opinions, because with learning comes growth, opportunity, love, and no judgement, anger, or hate because you are simply curious. Being curious doesn't mean you necessarily have to DO things you don't know or understand or lack in but it does mean you are actively listening, waiting productively, and turning the areas of misunderstanding into ones of understanding.)
Enter in my call to serve in the Relief Society Presidency! It hasn't always been easy, and there have definitely been times I've been frustrated with my calling or even wished I didn't have it, but overall I love it and it has been everything I've needed to continue to learn and grow in the direction I was wanting to go.
Soon after my calling as the secretary we had general conference which only answered more of my desires to be a better person. This new call of action was to release the Visiting Teaching and Home Teaching movements and to combine them in a combined effort to minister as the Savior did. As a new change, there has been some scrambling and confusion in trying to figure out what this means for each person involved, which is A LOT. And since I was asked to give a short talk in a Visiting Teaching Conference we were going to be having (we canceled it since Visiting Teaching was no longer a term,) I've been stuck on the idea of writing a talk to give, and while it's title has changed the content has not.
"What is ministering?" While this has been asked and answered already on lds.org I have been wanting to write what I think it is. Before, when ministering was Visiting Teaching, I had a hard time with the concept. To me it was all about lessons and numbers and reports which just didn't sit well with me. "Why can't I just do what I can for others and if I need to I will report the needs of my friends to those who can help them better?" Is often a question I would ask. I began to search to see if I could find others who thought the same way, and I found this blog by the Unconventional Relief Society who had already figured out how to minister before it was an actual term in the LDS church.
Ministering to others, the way I see it, is not about something else you have to do, but a open door into new friendships. Let me put it this way: think about your best friend or the person you are the closest to. How did you get there? What would you be willing to do for them? Why do you want to be with them? Just like with going out and introducing yourself to a stranger, asking them questions with full intent to learn about them, helping them out and letting them help you, going out together, inviting them over for dinner, getting to know their family, and simply talking to them the same is with ministering...we are just given the strangers name already.
Ministering takes time. Just as you took the time to really get to know, love, and adore the person you are the closest with the same goes for those we minister. There will be moments of absence and busy lifestyles, there will be those really good conversations and moments of silence, there will be the times where they will be the ones who help you the most and then there will also be the times you will help them the most, there will be dinners and parties and other family members to meet and love, and there may even be those moments of disagreements. The point is- you don't give up, you keep perusing because the relationship is worth it. Every person is worth getting to know and if you look deeply enough you will find those things you have in common with the person you thought you had nothing in common with.
Ministering takes practice. We are on this Earth to learn, we just have to be willing to do so. This will take a lot of humility and searching for the right "thing" that resonates with your soul. Even if you are not at the time of your life to learn about something specifically, you can still be productive in waiting for that moment by continually searching. This will open up your heart and mind and allow that moment to slip into your guarded thoughts to give you the best idea you've had in ages. Some suggestions on where to search is to pray, to ask others you think might be better at something then you (instead of being jealous that they can find opportunity), to find a book/podcast/ blog, etc. Start where you can and keep going until you are well practiced, and then continue on until you are a master. This will also take time, and there will be some slippery slopes ahead, storms, fog, and obstacles but YOU CAN DO IT! And if you find things that upset you or you get stuck on then leave it alone and move on. Just because a subject is worded one way you may not agree with does not mean that subject is wrong, it just means the way you can learn it best hasn't been presented to you yet.It's not that objects time, but don't stop looking!
Ministering is looking to the Savior. There was a talk given in Church last Sunday where the only thing I remember is "If you want to really know the savior, don't just study him, live like him". "He loved, taught, prayed for, comforted, and blessed those around him, inviting all to follow him (see Mark 8:34)." (Excerpt from, Frequently Asked Questions on Ministering under the tab "What is "mininistering"?)
In the end, ministering is what you make it- just like any other relationship/ passion you have in your life. Do what you can, don't force what you can't, and keep searching- you'll find what you need when you need it.
I believe in you.
XOXO
Megan
