Service- A Gift to Others

Spring is upon us with the beauty of the green grass starting to show, the colorful flowers are starting to bloom, and the cool rain showers are leaving the familiar scent in the air that reminds us why we love springtime so much. It is a time of renewal, a time of new life, and it also a time to serve others. Easter has been a time for us to think of our Savior and the gifts that he freely gave us of resurrection and of the atonement. These gifts Jesus gave us are eternal and will last forever. We too must give and freely serve those around us especially during this time of year.

In the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 2:17 we read: And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the bservice of your cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.


And in Matthew 25:40 in the Bible we read: And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have adone it unto one of the bleast of these my cbrethren, ye have done it unto me.

As we serve others, we are not only serving them, but we are also serving God. If we are to truly be happy and want to show our gratitude for the gifts he has given us, we need to serve others.

Here are some ideas of service that we could do for our neighbors, our family, and anyone around us:

Clean the House: A lot of service can be done in our own homes. Too often we think of a service project as being a large project or one done away from our homes. We need to take time to help those in our own homes and serve them and show them that we truly care about them. A great way to serve is to pick a few extra things to do each week cleaning the house that you normally do not do. Try vacuuming the floors, sweeping the floors, wiping the counters, doing the dishes, dusting the furniture. Get in the habit of doing these extra things each week and enjoy the feelings of the spirit of love and giving while helping your mother or wife. This will make a huge difference in your own life and in the ones you are helping.

Help your neighbor with yard work: We all have neighbors and many of us have neighbors that may have various reasons why they may not be able to keep their yard up during the spring and summer. Take the opportunity to help them right now to prepare their yard for the summer. Help them pull weeds, till their soil, rake debris from their flowerbeds and lawn, prune trees, and anything that they might need. Let them know that you love them and that you want to lend a hand once a month or however often you are able. Your relationship with this neighbor will increase and the joy you gain from serving will motivate you to serve others.

Clean a local park or empty lot area: In each city we live in, we may notice areas that are overgrown with weeds and bushes. Old houses or empty lots, or even parks may suffer due to lack of city funds to support grounds keeping or many places or just abandoned. Call your local city office and ask them regarding a particular place if you have something in mind, or ask them if there is a place that they are aware of that could use some yard cleaning. Get your local church group together or your scout group or even just your family and spend a Saturday afternoon pulling weeds, trimming bushes, painting, digging, moving and making a place that once was an “eye sore” become a place of beauty. You will enjoy the time working with each other knowing that you are making a difference and are serving your community. You will find that your love of where you live will increase in knowing that you are an important part of your town.

Conduct a service auction: Hold an activity in your church group or club and invite members of your church, neighbors, and relatives, and have a service auction. Each person in your group or club will have an idea or 2 in mind for service to give to others. Everyone writes down on a slip of paper the service they would like to donate such as babysitting, a hair cute, pulling weeds, making dinner, etc. Then everyone plays a game to earn points—the games can vary from getting to know you to trivia etc. Each person uses their points to “purchase” a service item from the auction. The service auction is lots of fun because everyone is able to give and get something.

Service is important for our individual growth. Even calling someone on the phone or sending a card could brighten someone’s day. Look for acts of service you can do each day to bring Springtime to your soul.

Bad Things Happen to Good People

My car broke down on the way to work this morning and then while we were towing it to a mechanic the battery went dead. The whole time I caught myself thinking; why is this happening to me? I have gone through this scenario far too many times, as I’m sure nearly all of us have at one time or another and in one situation or another. I have learned that bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people, but that also good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. The one constant in all of this is that “things happen”.

We always hear the saying “why do bad things happen to good people?” I dare say that there have been many more good things which have happened to those good people than their memory can recall at the time something bad happens. For example, my car has been very reliable for many years and has had nearly no issues at all, but as soon as it breaks down on the way to work I quickly ask the Lord “why is this happening?” and become angry at the situation. I would be better served to thank my Father in Heaven that this was a minor breakdown and that he has allowed the car to run so well for so long.

We all face different situations daily that could be classified as bad or good. We can learn different things from every situation regardless of it being good or bad. My wife and I purchased a house a few years ago and after living there for a year there was a major accident where our hose broke while we were out of town and leaked through our basement, flooding our carpet, and ruining a lot of things in the basement. While replacing the carpet and fixing part of a wall that got soaked at the bottom, we noticed that our house had termites in it. We were able to get it treated and taken care of, but without this major “bad” incident of the flooded basement, we would have never known the problems our house may have had in the future. We were thanking our Heavenly Father when we found the termites that something bad happened to us allowing us to find out something that would save our house. The next time something bad happens, think of the possibilities that might have happened had your bad luck not stopped you or slowed you down.

Having something bad happen can also be good because it presents an opportunity for someone else to serve, give charity, or even say their prayers. How often have we been in a situation where we need someone’s help and a neighbor, a friend, or a relative is able to help? Have we thought about the impact this might have on their life? The one giving the service and helping will be blessed while helping you out and blessing your life. Therefore 2 blessings have developed because of a bad situation.

I helped someone recently with a flat tire on the side of the freeway. It was an older man and his wife and I could see that they were having trouble. I pulled over and found out the wrench they had did not fit the lug nuts on the tire they were changing. I retrieved mine and it fit their size and I was able to help them get on their way. The couple was from out of town and was going to Arizona to get cancer treatment for the wife. They were extremely grateful for my help and this left me feeling very good about myself that I stopped. I went home happier that day and probably helped my wife a little more that night making her able to complete something she wanted and helping her to feel better. I might have played with the kids a little bit longer, helping them to feel happier. The couple going to Arizona was thankful to have the stress of changing the tire removed and probably felt a little better about life because I stopped to help out. All of this came about because something like a flat tire happened to a very nice couple. Today my dad helped me out with my car. He gave me a tow to the local garage shop. It took a couple hours of his day to help me out. I know he felt good for helping me. I felt better that I could have someone to help me out and that I could get the car in the shop. All of this because, again, something bad happened to good people.

So the next time someone says “Why do bad things happen to good people?” be sure and tell them that something far better and far-reaching will come because of it. Don’t stress too much the next time something happens. Try to think of all the good that will come out of the situation and also think of the opportunities that will be presented to others. God loves us. He wants us to learn. He sometimes has to allow things to happen to us to help us to learn patience, love, long-suffering, and most of all to trust the Lord in all things whether they be good or bad.


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