I have discovered that adding one more act of service to my daily schedule just to write about here is not really something I have time or energy for. I have been thinking a lot about how and why I serve other people. I had an amazing example in my mom. She served every day of her life...drops of AWESOME every single day. Sometimes it was just a hug for a friend in need. Sometimes it was money to the missionaries so they could take themselves to dinner. Sometimes it was secretly paying off a friends debt because it would make their life a little more bearable. She cooked and cleaned and cared for her kids and husband. She worked so that she could help pay for missions and college. She invited friends for dinner and took gifts and cards to brighten others' days. She was quick with a kind word and a helping hand. She was quick to apologize, even when she wasn't at fault, just to help another to feel better about the situation. She held the door for those coming in behind and took whatever she could to lighten a load. She sent cards with money and flowers for no reason. Her life, it seems, was always about making someone else's life happier, easier, better.
I like to think that I learned from her well, and I try every day to make someone else's day a little happier, a littler easier, a little better. So, although I have not taken the time to plan specific acts of service as I had originally planned, I have served every day. I am adding my drops of AWESOME to my bowl each day. And I have realized that this isn't a big change in my life. I tried to serve before this experience and I will continue to serve after I turn 40, too! I have noticed that service is at the forefront of my thoughts more often now and maybe my service is a little bit more deliberate. I also think that as I have been more thoughtful about service, Heavenly Father can more easily inspire and guide my actions each day to be of service to those who most need it.
A few drops of awesome that I have been adding lately:
1. Annette presented a problem at the daycare and I have the resources to help solve it. I have been working on quiet time activities/boxes for the kids so that her afternoons will run a little more smoothly (a little happier, a little easier, a little better). Awesome.
2. Lindsay posted on Facebook that she needs some ideas about how to help James to do more than watch TV and play video games. Jadee and I have made it our project to come up with lots of fun things for him to do to entertain himself and learn and grow while he's at it. We hope this makes his momma's days a little happier, a little easier, a little better. Awesome.
3. I spent Jadee's baptism weekend creating what I believe was a great experience for everyone who was around. I cooked (which seems to be a rarity these days) and served and cleaned up and hosted. We made little favors for the kids who came to the baptism. I printed and framed pictures and bought flowers for a special display of Jadee. I think it was an AWESOME weekend for all.
4. Holly and I went to lunch the other day. She bought mine and I bought hers :) I just wanted her to know how much I appreciate her coming to preschool and helping out there. She is a volunteer, adding her own drops of awesome to her own bowl each time. I told her how appreciative I am. I hope she knows it and believes it. Awesome.
5. Some things I try to do everyday...hold doors; give compliments; say please and thank you and excuse me and I'm sorry; say I love you; give hugs. Awesome.
I am grateful for this experience...look at what I have learned so far! And we're only into two weeks!
By the way, I have decided to make it 40 days of temple service in the year of my 40th birthday. I am three up and waiting patiently for the temple to open again :)
Monday, January 14, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Day 3
I planned to get up early this morning and go to the temple again. That didn't happen. You can't make a morning girl out of a night owl in one day...even if the night owl has amazing, service oriented intentions. 5 am really did me in and I am still recovering. Thankfully, Jeremiah served me today, came home early and I was at the temple at 4:45 pm.
This is an interesting journey, even after only three days. I think that I built this idea up in my mind so much that I'm not sure that all of the grandiose results and feelings are even realistic. I am feeling a little disappointed that I am not having more "warm fuzzies" as I go about my service. Don't get me wrong, I feel good and I know that what I am doing is a good thing. I guess in my mind, and as I stated on Day 1, it was all supposed to be AMAZING. Really, I don't even know what that means.
As I drove to the temple this afternoon, I thought about a blog I read a week or so ago. I shared it on Facebook and I want to share it here, too. Click Here to go to DROPS OF AWESOME. This girl's perspective and lesson have changed my thinking. Each little act of service is a Drop of Awesome in my bowl. And when life is all done, Christ will fill in what I lack. Amazing. Forget the things I don't do and the things I do that I shouldn't. Just focus on the Awesome. I was also thinking about how I need to teach this to my children. Their lives will be so much better for this understanding.
So, I guess what I am saying is that my 40 Days of Service experience doesn't have to be AMAZING...because each day I am adding to my AWESOME!
This is an interesting journey, even after only three days. I think that I built this idea up in my mind so much that I'm not sure that all of the grandiose results and feelings are even realistic. I am feeling a little disappointed that I am not having more "warm fuzzies" as I go about my service. Don't get me wrong, I feel good and I know that what I am doing is a good thing. I guess in my mind, and as I stated on Day 1, it was all supposed to be AMAZING. Really, I don't even know what that means.
As I drove to the temple this afternoon, I thought about a blog I read a week or so ago. I shared it on Facebook and I want to share it here, too. Click Here to go to DROPS OF AWESOME. This girl's perspective and lesson have changed my thinking. Each little act of service is a Drop of Awesome in my bowl. And when life is all done, Christ will fill in what I lack. Amazing. Forget the things I don't do and the things I do that I shouldn't. Just focus on the Awesome. I was also thinking about how I need to teach this to my children. Their lives will be so much better for this understanding.
So, I guess what I am saying is that my 40 Days of Service experience doesn't have to be AMAZING...because each day I am adding to my AWESOME!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Day 2
I thought of something else last night as I was contemplating selfless service. Even though my children weren't as grateful as I would have liked, I realized that I was happier while cleaning and doing their laundry than I usually am when I am engaged in those jobs. Because I was "serving" them, I wasn't getting annoyed by all of the little things that usually annoy me while I clean (eg: finding food in their rooms, folding clothes I've already folded once but were just thrown on the floor instead of put in a drawer, etc.) This realization made me wonder if it might be possible to have a perspective change, if I might be able to view differently the mundane tasks that are mine as a wife and mother. If I am able to view all that I do in my family and my home as service to my husband and children, maybe all of the work I do wouldn't seem so monotonous and thankless. Something to ponder.
I went to the temple this morning. I am still trying to decide how I want to set my temple goal. Should it be every day the temple is open during my 40 days of service, or should I make it 40 days of temple attendance in the year of my 40th birthday? While I know there is no other service more meaningful in all of the service I could do, I am trying to not feel like it's kind of a cop-out way to do my forty days. I know that doesn't really make sense. Maybe it is because it is a quiet, no-show act of service. It goes back to the concept of "selfless service" or service without thinking of self. There isn't any fun story for me to tell about planning, preparing or going to the temple. It is what it is. But I know that it is eternally meaningful for the recipient of the work. So, that is enough.
I am grateful for the opportunity to think and to learn from this goal of mine. I expect that I will be the greatest beneficiary of my efforts.
I went to the temple this morning. I am still trying to decide how I want to set my temple goal. Should it be every day the temple is open during my 40 days of service, or should I make it 40 days of temple attendance in the year of my 40th birthday? While I know there is no other service more meaningful in all of the service I could do, I am trying to not feel like it's kind of a cop-out way to do my forty days. I know that doesn't really make sense. Maybe it is because it is a quiet, no-show act of service. It goes back to the concept of "selfless service" or service without thinking of self. There isn't any fun story for me to tell about planning, preparing or going to the temple. It is what it is. But I know that it is eternally meaningful for the recipient of the work. So, that is enough.
I am grateful for the opportunity to think and to learn from this goal of mine. I expect that I will be the greatest beneficiary of my efforts.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Day 1
In 40 days I will turn 40 years old. When I realized that there are exactly 40 days from January 1 to February 9 (my birthday), I knew it was a great opportunity to do something amazing. My goal in the next 40 days is to serve and be kind. I want to make the world a better place one act of kindness at a time. I have seen a number of pins on Pinterest where the pinners spent their birthdays completing Random Acts of Kindness equal to the number of years they were celebrating. I am going to look each day for ways to serve those I encounter as I live.
Today I decided to serve my children. I cleaned their rooms and did their laundry while they were skiing with Jeremiah. I learned something about selfless service. In order to be truly selfless, it has to be done without the expectation of expressed gratitude. My children didn't so much as acknowledge that their rooms looked any different than when they left them this morning. One even went so far as to mess his room up. Okay, Jadee did say thank you for the new shirt I left on her bed. I guess in my mind I believed that my children would be so grateful that they wouldn't be able to contain themselves. Nice thought. Not so. Anyhow, selfless means without regard to self. I must serve without thinking of myself or how those I serve should be grateful to me for the service I render. I think that this might be a little harder for me than I might have thought.
Today I decided to serve my children. I cleaned their rooms and did their laundry while they were skiing with Jeremiah. I learned something about selfless service. In order to be truly selfless, it has to be done without the expectation of expressed gratitude. My children didn't so much as acknowledge that their rooms looked any different than when they left them this morning. One even went so far as to mess his room up. Okay, Jadee did say thank you for the new shirt I left on her bed. I guess in my mind I believed that my children would be so grateful that they wouldn't be able to contain themselves. Nice thought. Not so. Anyhow, selfless means without regard to self. I must serve without thinking of myself or how those I serve should be grateful to me for the service I render. I think that this might be a little harder for me than I might have thought.
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